MARCUS     WHITMAN 

PATHFINDER    and    PATRIOT 


STATUE   OF  MARCUS  WHITMAN 


MARCUS   WHITMAN 

Sanguine,  determined,  sure  of  self,  and  strong, 
Didst  thou,  of  all  that  earnest,  valiant  baud 
Who  journeyed  westivard  through  un  unknown  land 

See  with  prophetic  eye  the  myriad  throng 

To  follow  tin)  wheel-ruts,  rough  way  and  long.' 

Didst  know  that  Course  of  Empire  took  command 
'     Of  that  first  wagon?    Didst  thou  understand 

Thine  own  insistence,  spurred  by  prayer  and  song? 

Heroic  Martyr!    Couldst  thou  now  but  view, 
Where  mountains  whiten  into  azure  sky, 
The  smiling  laud  u-blqom  from  home-seeds  sown 
Jig  thee  and  thy  companion,  loyal,  true, — 

Couldst  see  thy  country's  flag  triumphant  fly,— 
It  would  thy  toil  reward,  thy  death  alone. 

— Alice  llarrimau. 


I 

I 


MAKCUlT\V^[ITMAN 

RATH  FINDER  and  PATRIOT 


BY 

REV.  MYRON  EELLS,  D.  D. 

Author  of  "  Indian  Missions,"  "  Ten  Years  at  Skokomish,' ' 
"  Father  Bells,' '  Etc. 


SEATTLE 

THE  ALICE  HARRIMAN  COMPANY 

MCMIX 


COPYRIGHT,   1909.   BY 
THE  ALICE  HARRIMAN  COMPANY 

All  Rights  Reserved 


i^0,      **3 


•       •      t 


PRESS  OF  LOWMAN    &  HANFORD   CO. 

PLATES  BY  MAR1NG  &   BLAKE 

SEATTLE,  WASHINGTON 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 
Early  Life. 


Page. 
Birth — Ancestry — Lincoln  Family — Saved  from  Death — Conver- 
sion— Education — Missionary  Zeal — Narcissa  Prentiss — An- 
cestry and  Early  Life — Desire  for  Missionary  Work — Early 
History  of  the  Pacific  Coast — Introduction  of  Indians  to 
Christian  Religion — Four  Nez  Perces  Go  to  St.  Louis — Jason 
Lee  and  Methodist  Missions — Rev.  S.  Parker — He  and  Dr. 
Whitman  Start  for  Oregon— Return  of  Dr.  Whitman  from 
Rocky  Mountains — H.  H.  Spalding — W.  H.  Gray — Marriage.  -     21 

CHAPTER  II. 

Crossing  the  Continent. 

Leaving  Home — To  St.  Louis — The  Fur  Company  Leaves  Them 
— Overtakes  It— Danger  from  Buffalo— Mrs.  Spalding's  Ill- 
ness— Fourth  of  July  at  South  Pass — Sacred  Ceremony — 
Meeting  With  the  Indians — -American  Rendezvous  and  Its 
Scenes- — -The  Wagon — Left  at  Boise — Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs. 
Spalding— Dr.  Whitman— Arrival  at  Fort  Walla  Walla— At 
Vancouver — Selecting  Stations  and  Settling  at  Them.      -         -32 

CHAPTER  III. 

Crossing  the  Continent  (Continued). 

Mrs.  Whitman's  Journals  and  Letters — Sabbath  at  Chester — At 
St.  Louis — American  Rendezvous — Fort  Hall — Blue  Moun- 
tains— Walla  Walla — Vancouver.         -         -  -     54 


Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Mission  Work. 

Page. 
Indians,  Numbers  and  Customs— Birth  of  Alice — Trouble — Sick- 
ness Among  the  Indians — Temperance  and  Clothes — School — 
Religious  Work — Farming — Mails — Railroad  Across  the  Isth- 
mus— First  Visit  to  Lapwai — Baptism  of  Children — Series  of 
Meetings — Organization  of  Church  and  Its  History — Rein- 
forcement of  1838— Tshimakain — -Kamiah — Printing  Press — 
Death  of  Alice — Catholic  Missionaries — Death  of  Mr.  Pam- 
burn — A.  McKinley — Encouragements — J.  S.  Griffin  and  A. 
Munger — Dr.  Geiger — T.  J.  Farnham  and  His  Description  of 
Life  at  Wai-i-lat-pu — Peoria  Party — Horse  Meat — First  Cow 
Beef  and  Pork — Mission  Work — Sickness — Death  of  Joseph 
Mahi— Rev.  H.  Clark,  A.  T.  Smith  and  P.  B.  Littlejohn- 
Housekeeping — Building — Difficulties  With  the  Indians — Con- 
tentment —  Mr.  Drayton — Tshimakain  —  Kamiah  —  Lapwai  — 
Resignation  of  Messrs.  Smith,  Rogers  and  Gray — Methodist 
Mission — -Immigrations   and   Settlers.         -  -  -     96 


CHAPTER  V. 

Mission  Work  (Continued). 

Difficulties  in  the  Mission — Journey  East  in  1842 — Checkered  Af- 
fairs at  the  Doctor's  Station — Mrs.  Whitman's  Letters  and 
Feelings — Mills — Prospects  and  Future  Plans — Children — 
Mission  Work  at  the  Other  Stations — Close  of  the  Methodist 
Mission — Political   Constitution  of  Oregon.       -         -  -  126 


CHAPTER  VI. 

National  Work. 

Period  of  Early  Discovery  on  the  Pacific  Coast— Of  Fur  Traders 
— Struggle  for  Possession — Withdrawal  of  France,  Spain  and 
Russia — Hudson  Bay  Company — American  Fur  Companies — 
Location  of  American  and  Catholic  Missionaries — Efforts  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  to  Retain  Region — American  Ef- 
forts— Provisional  Government — Dr.  Whitman's  Ideas — Ash- 
burton's  Treaty — Dr.  Whitman's  Journey  East — A.  J.  Love- 
joy's  Account — At  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Ithaca,  Washington, 
New   York   and   Boston.       -  -  -  193 


Table  of  Contents 
CHAPTER  VII. 

National   Work — Objections. 

Page. 
(1)  That  Dr.  Whitman  Did  Not  Go  East  with  Any  National  Ob- 
ject in  View — Evidences  of  C.  Eells,  W.  Geiger,  Mrs.  M.  R. 
Walker,  W.  H.  Gray,  H.  H.  Spalding,  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  P.  B. 
Whitman,  Dr.  Barrows,  H.  H.  Field,  E.  Hale,  J.  Otis,  A.  Ram- 
sey, S.  Reed,  John  Tyler,  Jr.,  Hines'  History  of  Oregon,  Cir- 
cumstantial Evidence,  and  Dr.  Whitman.  (2)  That  Dr.  Whit- 
man Did  Nothing  Worthy  of  Mention  When  in  Washington — 
Evidence  of  Messrs.  Geiger,  Spalding,  Gray,  P.  B.  Whitman, 
Lovejoy,  Otis  and  Dr.  Whitman — Governor  Simpson  at 
Washington.  (3)  That  it  Was  Impossible  for  Dr.  Whitman 
or  Any  One  to  Have  Saved  Oregon,  as  There  Was  No  Dan- 
ger of  Losing  It — Ignorance  About  Oregon — Webster's  Posi- 
tion— Sir  Robert  Peel — Trade  for  California  or  Newfound- 
land— Judge  G.  H.  Williams — Papers  Not  Necessary — Web- 
ster's Statement — British  Colonial  Magazine.  (4)  That  It 
Was  Not  Published  Earlier — Unwise — Would  Bring  Dis- 
grace on  the  Mission — Almost  Impossible — Evidence  to  Show 
That  it  Was  Known  by  Many  from  1846  to  1857.       -  -  163 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Dr.  Whitman  and  the  Immigration  of  1843. 

(5)  Objection  that  Dr.  Whitman  Did  Nothing  Worthy  of  Men- 
tion to  Incite  People  to  Start  for  Oregon — What  He  Did  Do. 
(6)  That  He  Did  Nothing  of  Importance  to  Assist  the  Immi- 
grants on  the  Route — What  He  Did  Before  Reaching  Fort 
Hall — At  Fort  Hall— Afterwards — Dr.  Whitman's  Ideas- 
Testimonials.         ----------  206 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Whitman  Controversy. 


Reason  for  It — Mistakes  of  Some  Writers — Incident  at  Fort  Walla 
Walla— Controversy  of  1880,  1885,  1895,  1897,  1900-1— Mistakes 
of  Those  Who  Call  the  Story  a  Myth — Increase  of  Evidence.  233 


Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  X. 

Difficulty  With  the  Indians. 

Page. 
Troubles  of  a  Physician  Among  Savage  Indians — About  Presents 
Received  from  Indians — Wood,  Water  and  Land — About  Pay 
for  Indians  Who  Had  Died— Mrs.  Whitman— Talk  of  War- 
Council  About  Immigration  and  Land — Elijah  Hedding — 
Catholics — Dr.  Whitman  Fears — Judge  Thornton  to  Washing- 
ton.       ------  -----  249 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Catholics. 

Arrival  of  Messrs.  Blanchet  and  Demers — Farnham's  Description 
— Dr.  Whitman's  Fears — Policy  of  Catholics — Arrival  of 
Father   Brouillet.  ---------  270 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Whitman  Massacre. 

Those  at  Dr.  Whitman's  Station — His  Trip  to  Umatilla — Massacre 
— Escape  of  J.  Osborne  and  Family — -Burial  of  Dead — Cap- 
tives and  Their  Rescue  by  P.  S.  Ogden — Cayuse  War — J.  L. 
Meek  Sent  to  Washington — Governor  Lane's  Arrival — He 
Secures  and  Hangs  Five  Murderers — Tomahawk.     -  279 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Monuments. 

Whitman  College — Whitman  County — Stone  Monument — Efforts 
in  the  Legislature  by  Oregon  Pioneer  and  Historical  Society 
—The  Grave — By  Whitman  Monument  Association — Dedica- 
tion of  It — Services  at  Washington,  D.  C. — Statue  at  Phila- 
delphia. -----------  290 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Results — Conclusion. 

Dr.  Whitman's  Wagon  in  1836 — First  White  Woman  to  Cross  the 
Continent — Mr.  Spalding's  Eulogy — The  Trip  of  1842-3 — Rev. 
J.   W.   Bashford  on  the  Trip — Testimonials — Poem.         -         -  301 


APPENDIX. 

(A)  Rev.    Samuel    Parker 315 

(B)  Rev.    Henry    Harmon    Spalding 317 

(C)  William  H.  Gray 320 

(D)  Rev.  Asa  Bowen  Smith 323 

(E)  Rev.  E.  Walker.... 325 

(F)  Rev.  Cushing  Eells,  D.  D 327 

(G)  Cornelius    Rogers    329 

(H)     Edwin   Oscar   Hall 331 

(I)      Mr.    Andrew    Rodgers 333 

(J)      Letter  and  Synopsis  of  Bill  by  Marcus  Whitman 335-337 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Statue  of  Marcus  Whitman Frontispiece 

Rev.  Samuel  Parker Facing  Page       26 

Birthplace  of  Mrs.  Whitman.    Church  at  Angelica,  N.Y.  30 

Fourth  of  July,  1S36 34 

Fort  Laramie  and  Independence  Rock 38 

Fort    Boise 44 

Rev.  Henry  Spalding.     William  H.  Gray 5S 

Fort   Hall    "                 70 

Fort  Walla  Walla "               '  82 

Fort   Vancouver   90 

The  Whitman   Mission,   1843 100 

The  Printing  Press 114 

Tshimakain,   1843   12  t 

Columbia  River  and  The  Dalles 13S 

Lost  in  the  Snow 156 

Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy I68 

Four  Pioneer   Catholics 268 

Dr.  John  McLoughlin.     Gov.  P.  S.  Ogden 286 

Rev.  Cushing  Eells.     Rev.  Elkanah  Walker "              290 

Grave  of  Massacre  Victims 296 

Whitman    Monument    300 

Bird'seye  View— Map Inserts 


PREFACE 


It  is  not  strange  that  the  writer  has  been  interested  in  the 
life  of  Dr.  Whitman.  His  father  was  an  associate  of  the 
Doctor  in  the  Oregon  Mission  from  1838  to  1847,  and  the 
founder  of  Whitman  Seminary  and  College.  In  1882  the  writer 
published  a  book  on  Protestant  Indian  Missions  on  the  North 
Pacific  Coast,  in  which  considerable  reference  was  made  to  the 
Doctor's  work  and  the  results  of  it.  Growing  more  interested 
in  the  work,  he  planned  something  larger,  and  in  1887-90  pub- 
lished a  series  of  fifty-one  articles  in  the  San  Francisco  Pacific, 
in  regard  to  the  Doctor  and  his  work,  intending  in  a  few  years 
to  put  these  in  book  form.  Various  things  delayed,  however. 
In  the  mean  time  other  books  were  published  much  in  the  same 
line,  as,  How  Marcus  Whitman  Saved  Oregon,  by  Dr.  O.  W. 
Nixon ;  The  Story  of  Marcus  Whitman,  by  J.  G.  Craighead, 
D.  D. ;  Marcus  Whitman  and  the  Early  Days  of  Oregon,  by 
Dr.  W.  A.  Mowry ;  and  some  pamphlets,  with  many  magazine 
articles ;  so  that  the  writer  at  one  time  thought  that  it  would  not 
be  wise  for  him  to  go  forward  with  his  book,  and  gave  it  up.  But 
of  late  there  has  seemed  to  be  a  demand  for  something  different 
from  what  has  yet  been  published.  In  it  the  writer  has  been 
encouraged  from  sources  which  he  did  not  expect,  even  those 
who  have  already  written  on  the  subject.  Says  Dr.  Nixon,  of 
Chicago,  March  29,  1900:  "It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  a  duty 
incumbent  upon  you  to  write  a  complete  history  of  Early  Ore- 
gon and  the  great  part  enacted  by  the  patriotic  Christian  mis- 
sionaries." Says  President  S.  B.  L.  Penrose,  of  Whitman  Col- 
lege, February  9,  1901:  "It  delights  me  to  hear  that  you  are 
engaged  on  a  life  of  Dr.  Whitman.  I  hope  that  you  will  soon 
be  able  to  push  on  with  the  work,  and  have  it  ready  for  the 
public."      Snys  Dr.  W.  A.  Mowry,  of  Hyde  Park,  Massachu- 


Pref 


ace 


setts,  February  1,  1899:  "I  have  supposed  that  at  the  proper 
time  you  would  publish  a  Life  of  Dr.  Whitman  which  will 
prove  the  last  word.  You  will  make  it  so  full,  so  complete,  so 
authoritative,  that  no  one  can  afterward  object.  I  certainly 
hope  you  will  do  that."  Says  Dr.  S.  H.  Wiley,  of  California, 
January  2,  1889,  who  had  written  a  series  of  articles  in  regard 
to  "the  work  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  on  the  Pacific  Slope  and 
related  matters,"  after  referring  to  the  series  of  articles  spoken 
of  above  in  the  Pacific :  "I  want  to  see  the  thorough  work  you 
have  done  put  in  permanent  form,  ere  long,  work  that  will 
satisfy  candid  inquirers,  far  and  near;"  and  again,  March  4: 
'•You  have  got  hold  of  the  handle  of  this  matter,  which  means 
that  Providence  intends  that  you  should  carry  it  through." 
Others  who  have  encouraged  the  writer  are  Hon.  J.  W.  Fair- 
banks, who  has  delivered  his  lecture  in  the  East  many  times 
on  The  Ride  That  Saved  an  Empire;  Rev.  W.  A.  Tenney,  of 
Oakland,  California,  formerly  of  Oregon,  who  has  written  con- 
siderably about  the  missions  on  the  northwest  coast  for  news- 
papers and  magazines ;  Colonel  W.  F.  Prosser,  President  of  the 
Washington  State  Historical  Society,  and  editor  of  the  Wash- 
ington Historical  Magazine;  and  Dr.  A.  J.  Anderson,  first 
President  of  Whitman  College. 


■'&v 


In  1883,  the  author  published  a  pamphlet  of  thirty-four  oc- 
tavo pages,  entitled  Marcus  Whitman,  M.  D.  Proofs  of  his 
work  in  Saving  Oregon  to  the  United  States  and  in  promoting 
the  immigration  of  18J(3.  In  it  are  a  large  number  of  letters, 
most  of  which  were  written  to  the  author  on  these  subjects. 
This  in  some  of  the  chapters  will  be  referred  to  as  Eells'  Whit- 
man Pamphlet. 

The  books,  pamphlets  and  newspapers  to  which  the  Avriter  is 
indebted  for  aid  in  preparing  the  following  pages  are  very 
many,  and  are  generally  mentioned  in  the  foot  notes.  The 
writer  also  here  wishes  to  thank  the  many  persons  who  have 
in  answer  to  his  inquiries  written  him  in  regard  to  various 
subjects  herein  treated.  Their  names  are  generally  mentioned 
in  their  proper  places. 

Twana,  Washington,  January  1st,  1907. 


Preface 


ADDITIONAL. 

This  much  had  Dr.  Eells  written  at  the  time  of  his  death 
early  in  January,  1907.  He  was  exceptionally  qualified  to  write 
the  history  of  Oregon,  both  by  the  qualities  of  mind  which  he 
inherited  from  his  distinguished  father,  and  by  his  lifelong 
residence  upon  its  soil.  Clear-sighted,  patient  and  industrious, 
he  combined  in  a  rare  degree  the  unflagging  zeal  of  the  scholar 
with  a  warm-hearted  devotion  to  the  interests  of  truth  and 
right.  He  was  mentally  aud  morally  honest  to  the  core.  The 
name  of  Dr.  Whitman  was  to  him  a  household  name  from 
childhood,  and  to  the  personal  knowledge  of  him  derived  from 
Eev.  Cushing  Eells,  Dr.  Whitman's  associate  and  friend,  Myron 
Eells  added  the  knowledge  gained  by  thirty  years  of  pains- 
taking investigation  into  the  written  and  unwritten  records  of 
pioneer  history.  It  may  be  doubted  if  any  other  man  ever 
lived  who  was  so  fully  and  accurately  informed  concerning 
that  early  period. 

We  may  hope,  moreover,  that  future  generations  will  appre- 
ciate the  simple  heroism  and  sublime  self-sacrifice  of  this  grad- 
uate of  Pacific  University  and  of  Hartford  Theological  Sem- 
inary who  devoted  his  life  to  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  the  Indian  tribes  scattered  along  the  shores  of  Hood's 
Canal.  He  lived  among  the  Indians  of  the  Skokomisk  reser- 
vation from  1874  until  his  death,  always  a  faithful  missionary, 
yet  always  also  a  student  of  anthropology,  language,  and  his- 
tory. The  noble  traditions  of  his  New  England  ancestors  were 
worthily  exemplified  in  him,  scholar,  hero  and  saint. 

The  publication  of  the  present  work,  left  in  manuscript 
completed  at  Dr.  Eells'  death,  has  been  made  possible  by  the 
generous  financial  assistance  of  the  following  persons,  to  whom 
grateful  acknowledgment  is  hereby  given:  Mr.  R.  L.  McCor- 
mick,  of  Tacoma,  Hon.  Thomas  Burke,  Miss  M.  L.  Denny,  Mr. 
Lawrence  J.  Colman,  Rev.  Edward  Lincoln  Smith,  D.  I).,  Mr. 
S.  L.  Crawford,  Mr.  W.  T.  Dovell,  ex  Gov.  John  H.  McGraw, 
Mis.  Edmund  P.owden  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Hall,  of  Seattle. 


Preface 

In  the  revision  of  the  manuscript  valuable  aid  has  been  ren- 
dered by  Judge  Cornelius  H.  Hanford,  Mr.  W.  H.  Gilstrap, 
secretary  of  the  Washington  State  Historical  Society,  and 
Miss  Mary  Banks,  reference  librarian,  Seattle  Public  Library. 

The  illustrations  used  are  due  to  the  courtesy  of  Whitman 
College,  the  Washington  State  Historical  Society,  Oregon  His- 
torical Society,  and  Silver,  Burdette  Company. 


MARCUS     WHITMAN 

PATHFINDER  and  PATRIOT 


MARCUS    WHITMAN 

PATHFINDER  and  PATRIOT 


CHAPTER  I. 


EARLY  LIFE. 


Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  was  born  at  Rushville,  Yates  County, 
New  York,  September  4,  1802,  the  third  son  of  Beza  and  Alice 
Whitman.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Goshen,  Massachusetts, 
and  moved  from  Windsor,  Massachusetts,  in  1799,  living  first  in 
Hopewell,  and  next  settling  in  Gorham,  now  Rushville,  where 
Marcus  was  born.  He  built  and  kept  the  first  public  house 
in  Rushville,  and  died  April  6,  1810.1 

1  From  a  work  published  by  Fowler  and  Wells  it  would  seem  that 
the  original  Whitman  stock  predominated  over  all  those  that  inter- 
married with  it,  not  only  in  imparting  age,  but  also  in  rendering  the 
descendants  conspicuous  for  high  moral  and  religious  feelings  and 
strong  common  sense.  John  Whitman,  called  "the  ancestor"  of  the 
Whitman  family,  lived  to  be  about  ninety.  None  of  his  sons  died  un- 
der eighty-two,  and  several  of  them  reached  ninety  years.  A  de- 
scendant of  Deacon  Whitman  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seven.  It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  in  very  early  days 
the  families  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Marcus  Whitman  were  related. 
Samuel  Lincoln  came  from  Norfolk  County,  England,  in  1637  and  set- 
tled in  Salem,  Mass.  Of  his  ten  children,  the  fourth  was  Mordecai. 
John  Whitman,  of  Weymouth,  Mass.,  was  the  founder  of  the  Whit- 
man family  in  America.  His  eldest  child  was  Sarah  Whitman,  who 
married  in  1683  Abraham  Jones,  of  Hingham,  Mass.  They  had  seven 
children,  one  of  whom,  Sarah  Whitman  Jones,  married  Mordecai  Lin- 
coln. They  left  four  children,  of  whom  Mordecai  was  great-great 
grandfather  of  President  Lincoln.  Says  the  Chicago  Inter-Ocean  of 
June  2,  1896,  "Two  grander  names  have  not  figured  in  American  his- 
tory than  those  of  Lincoln  and  Whitman,"  and  "these  facts  lead  di- 
rectly to  the  pleasing  fact  that  the  martyr  President,  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, and  the  old  hero-missionary,  Marcus  Whitman,  were  descen- 
dants of  the  same  family." 

The  direct  line  from  John  Whitman  is  as  follows: 
John  Whitman,  born   probably  in   1602,   came,   as  near  as   can  be 
learned,   from   Herefordshire,    England,   to   Weymouth,   Mass.,  before 
1638,  as  he  was  there  at  that  time,  and  died  in  1692.      The  oldest  son 


22  Marcus  Whitman 

Beza  Whitman  left  a  family  of  five  surviving  children — Au- 
gustus, Marcus,  Henry  G.,  Samuel  and  Alice.  In  the  infancy 
of  Marcus,  his  parents  lived  in  a  log  house.  The  country  was 
new  and  wild,  and  his  father  was  a  tanner  and  a  currier.  His 
mother,  being  lonely,  often  used  to  go  and  sit  with  her  husband 
in  the  little  shop  opposite  the  house,  binding  shoes.  Having 
left  Marcus,  a  baby,  in  his  cradle,  one  evening,  she  was  much 
startled,  on  her  return,  to  find  that  a  log  had  fallen  from  the 
fireplace  and  burned  the  lower  end  of  the  cradle,  and  that  he 
was  nearly  suffocated  by  the  smoke.  His  life  was,  however, 
preserved  for  a  great  work. 

In  the  fall  of  1810,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  was 
sent  to  live  with  his  paternal  grandfather,  Deacon  Samuel 
Whitman,  at  Plainfield,  Mass.  He  dated  his  conversion  from 
a  revival  at  this  place  in  1819,  though  he  did  not  join  any 
church  until  five  years  later,  when  he  united  with  the  Congre- 
gational Church  at  Rushville,  January,  1824.  He  remained  a 
member  of  this  for  nine  years,  when  he  joined  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Wheeler,  February  9,  1833,  of  which  he  was  elected 
a  ruling  Elder  the  next  month.  February  2,  1836,  he  was  dis- 
missed from  this  to  "where  the  Providence  of  God  may  cast  his 
lot,"  after  which,  about  1838,  he  joined  the  Mission  Church 
in  Oregon,  which  was  Presbyterian  in  name  and  Congrega- 
tional in  practice. 

Having  remained  at  Plainfied  four  years,  he  unexpectedly 
returned  home  for  a  visit  of  three  weeks.  Coming  in  at  even- 
ing, he  went  up  to  his  mother,  and  reached  out  his  hand,  say- 
ing, "How  do  you  do,  mother."  She  drew  back,  not  knowing 
him.  This  so  grieved  him  that  he  burst  into  tears.  He  re- 
turned to  Plainfield  for  five  years  longer,  and  began  a  course 
of  Latin  under  Rev.  Moses  Hallock,  after  which  he  returned  to 

and  child  of  John  Whitman  and  Ruth,  his  wife,  was  Thomas,  who  was 
born  in  1629,  married  Abigail  Bryam,  and  died  in  1712.  Their  third 
son  and  child  was  Nicholas,  born  1675,  married  Sarah  Vining,  and 
died  in  1746.  Their  second  son  and  child  was  John,  born  1704,  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Cary,  and  died  in  1792.  Their  oldest  child  was  Sam- 
uel, born  1730,  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Waterman,  and  died  in  1824.  Their 
fifth  son  and  child  was  Beza,  born  1773,  married  Alice  Green,  March 
9,  1797,  and  died  in  1810. 


Early  Life  23 

Rushville,  where  he  finished  this  part  of  his  studies  under 
Rev.  David  Page.  His  heart  was  set  on  studying  for  the  min- 
istry, but  he  was  opposed  by  his  brothers,  who  thought  his  lim- 
ited means  would  compel  him  to  be  a  charity  scholar,  and  they 
persuaded  him,  against  his  will,  to  take  up  the  study  of  medi- 
cine. Many  a  time  were  tears  seen  on  his  face,  as  he  thought 
of  his  disappointment  in  this  object  of  life.  He  took  up  a 
three-years'  course  of  medical  study  with  Dr.  Ira  Bryant,  of 
Rushville,  and  received  his  diploma  at  Fairfield  in  1824.  Dur- 
ing his  studies  he  was  severely  afflicted  with  a  pain  in  his  side, 
to  which  he  remained  subject  all  his  life,  but  he  was  a  man 
of  remarkable  energy  and  perseverance,  and  seldom  yielded  to 
bodily  pain  or  weariness. 

His  first  practice  in  medicine  was  four  years  in  Canada, 
after  which  he  went  home,  determined  to  study  for  the  min- 
istry, but  he  was  again  assailed  by  the  pain  in  his  side  and 
conquered  by  it,  whereupon  he  went  to  Wheeler,  where  he 
practiced  medicine  for  four  years  more.  At  one  time  he  was 
associated  with  his  brother  Henry  in  owning  and  running  a 
saw  mill  near  Potter  Center. 

He  always  had  a  great  passion  for  adventure  and  explora- 
tion in  new  and  uncivilized  regions,  and  being  of  a  strong  re- 
ligious tendency,  he  panted  for  missionary  work  that  would 
gratify  and  satisfy  these  desires.  Consequently,  he  wrote  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  at 
Boston,  the  missionary  society  of  the  Congregational  and  Pres- 
byterian Churches,  about  it.  In  this  letter,  dated  at  Wheeler, 
N.  Y.,  June  3,  1831,  he  said :  "I  regard  the  missionary  cause 
as  based  on  the  atonement  and  the  commands  and  promises 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  his  ambassadors  and  church;  and 
that  it  involves  the  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  that  may  be 
reclaimed  from  sin.  I  am  willing  to  go  to  any  field  of  useful- 
ness at  the  direction  of  the  American  Board.  I  will  cooperate 
as  physician,  teacher  or  agriculturist,  so  far  as  I  am  able,  if 
required." ' 

His  wife,  Narcissa  Prentiss,  was  born  in  Prattsburg,  New 
York,  March  14, 1808.     She  was  the  daughter  of  Judge  Stephen 

'"Missionary  Herald,"  January,  1898,  p.  9. 


24  Marcus    Whitman 

Prentiss,  and  like  Dr.  Whitman,  she  could  trace  her  ancestry 
in  America  back  to  the  first  part  of  the  Seventeenth  Century, 
soon  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims.1 

Her  father  had  nine  children,  and  she  was  the  third.  He 
and  his  wife  and  all  of  these  children  were  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church  in  Prattsburg.  She  was  the  subject 
of  early  religious  impressions,  and  at  the  age  of  eleven,  in 
1819,  she  united  with  that  church,  and  was  ever  afterwards 
known  as  an  active  Christian  worker.  Seventy  others  united 
with  that  church  on  that  day.  H.  H.  Spalding,  though  not 
then  a  Christian,  was  a  spectator  of  the  scene.  About  five 
years  later  he  united  with  the  same  church,  and  for  several 
years  they  were  members  also  of  the  same  school  in  Prattsburg. 

Miss  Prentiss  received  a  part  of  her  education  at  Miss 
Willard's  Seminary  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  completed  it  at  Frank- 
lin Academy  at  Prattsburg.  Afterwards  she  and  her  sister, 
Jane  Abigail,  established  an  infant  school  at  Bath,  the  county 
seat  of  Steuben  County.  In  1834  she  moved  to  Angelica,  where 
she  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  There  she  was  very 
active  in  Sabbath  School  and  prayer  meetings.  She  was  the 
life  of  the  ladies'  prayer  meetings,  and  in  fact  it  was  owing  to 
her  efforts  that  they  were  established.  She  was  very  anxious 
that  her  friends  should  come  to  a  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  for 
this  object  would  visit  them  and  urge  them  to  come  to  Him. 

After  her  conversion  her  mind  was  drawn  to  the  subject  of 
foreign  missions,  and  it  became  her  ardent  wish  to  carry  the 
news  of  salvation  to  the  heathen.  She  had  written  to  the 
American  Board  in  regard  to  her  wishes,  and  that  Society  had 
about  determined  to  send  her  to  some  tribe  east  of  the  Rockies. 

1  The  first  was  Henry  Prentice,  a  planter,  who  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, but  was  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  before  1640.  Himself  and  family- 
were  members  of  the  Cambridge  Church.  He  died  in  1654.  Second, 
Solomon  Prentice,  son  of  Henry,  born  in  Cambridge  1646,  died  there 
1719.  Third,  his  son  Solomon  Prentice,  Jr.,  born  1673,  died  1758. 
Fourth,  Stephen  Prentice,  born  in  Cambridge,  1720.  He  moved  to 
Grafton,  Mass.  Fifth,  Stephen  Prentice,  second  son  of  the  last,  born 
in  Grafton,  1744.  He  moved  to  Walpole,  New  Hampshire.  Sixth, 
Stephen  Prentiss  (the  spelling  of  the  name  was  then  changed),  born 
in  Walpole,  1777,  died  in  West  Almond,  N.  Y.,  1862.  He  was  the 
father  of  Narcissa. 


Early  Life  25 

In  her  offer  of  herself  to  the  Board  she  wrote:  "Feeling  it 
more  my  privilege  than  duty  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the 
heathen,  I  respectfully  submit  myself  to  your  direction."1 

The  Prudential  Committee  of  the  American  Board  thought 
at  first  of  sending  him  to  some  tribe  of  Indians  east  of  the 
Bocky  Mountains,  but  God  had  been  preparing  him  for  another 
work.  He  had  given  the  Doctor  a  desire  to  preach  the  Gospel ; 
had  caused  him  to  be  a  ruling  elder  in  the  church,  the  highest 
office  in  its  gift  next  to  the  ministry;  had  brought  him  into 
revival  work;  had  given  him  a  medical  education,  which  he 
found  to  be  the  necessary  one  for  him  when  in  Oregon  ;2  had 
taught  him  how  to  manage  a  mill,8  and  finally  had  brought  the 
Doctor  and  the  Missionary  Board  into  friendly  intercourse. 

After  the  period  of  discovery  of  the  North  Pacific  Coast, 
which  was  in  the  main  done  by  water  by  Berkeley  or  Barclay 
in  1788,  Quadra  in  1790,  Vancouver  and  Gray  in  1792,  and  by 
land  by  Mackenzie  in  1795,  and  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804-6, 
came  the  era  of  the  Fur  Hunters.  Of  these  there  were  at  least 
fourteen  companies,  of  which  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was 
the  principal.  This  began  its  business  on  the  Pacific  Coast  in 
1821.  From  some  of  these  explorers  the  Indians  obtained  in- 
formation about  God,  the  Bible,  the  Sabbath,  and  the  Christian 
religion.  Lewis  and  Clark  had  told  them  that  in  these  were 
The  secret  of  the  white  man's  power.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany had  their  flag  put  up  every  Sabbath,  so  that  the  day  had 
come  to  be  known  among  the  Indians  as  the  "flag  day."  A 
certain  trapper  spent  hours  in  reading  the  Book  and  talking 
silently  to  an  unseen  Being  above.  The  Indians  wanted  to 
know  more  about  the  new  religion.  They  were  told  that  after 
a  while  missionaries  from  the  East  would  come  and  teach 
them.  They  waited  for  them  and  talked  about  the  subject 
around  their  council  fires,  but  they  waited  in  vain.  Hence, 
after  years  of  waiting,  they  concluded  to  send  five  Nez  Perces 
to  the  East  for  missionaries  and  the  Book.    They  went  in  1832 ; 


i  <<•• 

X 


'Missionary  Herald,"  January,  1898,  p.  9. 

His    field   stretched   two   hundred    miles    in    every   direction   from 
his  home,  with  not  another  physician  in  it  as  long  as  he  lived. 

'He  was  the  only  member  of  the  Oregon    Mission  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board  who  at  first  had  the  necessary  knowledge. 


26  Marcus    Whitman 

only  four  of  them,  however,  reaching  St.  Louis.  There  they 
found  their  old  friend,  General  Clark,  Superintendent  of  In- 
dian Affairs,  whom  they  had  seen  in  1805-6.  They  made  known 
their  wants  to  him,  but  for  some  reason  he  avoided  making 
public  the  object  of  their  visit.  He,  however,  treated  them 
kindly,  entertained  them,  and  showed  them  the  sights  of  the 
city.  They  were  taken  to  the  cathedral  and  shown  the  altar 
and  the  pictures  of  the  saints.  But  they  did  not  obtain  the 
object  of  their  coming.  Two  of  their  number  died,  and  the 
other  two  prepared  mournfully  to  return  to  their  homes.  As 
they  were  about  to  leave  the  office  of  General  Clark,  one  of 
their  number  made  the  following  farewell  address  to  him, 
which  was  overheard  by  a  young  man  near  by  and  written 
down.     It  was  as  follows : 

"I  came  to  you  over  a  trail  of  many  moons  from  the  setting 
sun.  You  were  the  friend  of  my  fathers  who  have  all  gone  the 
long  way.  I  came  with  one  eye  partly  opened,  for  more  light 
for  my  people  who  sit  in  darkness.  I  go  back  with  both  eyes 
closed.  How  can  I  go  back  with  both  eyes  closed?  How  can 
I  go  back  blind  to  my  blind  people?  I  made  my  way  to  you 
with  strong  arms,  through  many  enemies  and  strange  lands, 
that  I  might  carry  back  much  to  them.  I  go  back  with  both 
arms  broken  and  empty.  The  two  fathers  who  came  with  us — 
the  braves  of  many  winters  and  wars — we  leave  asleep  by  your 
great  water  and  wigwam.  They  were  tired  in  many  moons 
and  their  moccasins  wore  out.  My  people  sent  me  to  get  the 
white  man's  book  of  Heaven.  You  took  me  where  you  allow 
your  women  to  dance,  as  we  do  not  ours,  and  the  book  was  not 
there ;  you  showed  me  the  images  of  good  spirits  and  pictures  of 
the  good  land  beyond,  but  the  book  was  not  among  them  to  tell 
us  the  way.  I  am  going  back  the  long  sad  trail  to  my  people 
of  the  dark  land.  You  make  my  feet  heavy  with  burdens  of 
gifts,  and  my  moccasins  will  grow  old  in  carrying  them,  but 
the  book  is  not  among  them.  When  I  tell  my  poor  blind  peo- 
ple, after  one  more  snow,  in  the  big  council,  that  I  did  not 
bring  the  Book,  no  word  will  be  spoken  by  our  old  men  or  by 
our  young  braves.  One  by  one  they  will  rise  up  and  go  out  in 
silence.  My  people  will  die  in  darkness,  and  they  will  go  on 
the  long  path  to  the  other  hunting  grounds.      No  white  man 


REV.  S  \MI  i:i.   PARKER 


Early  Life  27 

will  go  with  them  and  no  white  man's  book  will  make  the  way 
plain.     I  have  no  more  words." 

The  young  man,  who  was  religiously  inclined,  wrote  to  his 
friends  in  the  East  an  account  of  these  Indians,  their  desires, 
and  this  address,  and  it  was  made  public  early  in  1833,  as  a 
call  from  the  "Wise  men  from  the  West."  When  it  was  first 
published,  there  were  some  who  doubted,  and  some  denied  the 
truth  of  it,  and  even  in  the  latter  third  of  the  century,  there 
were  some  who  denied  the  story.  George  Catlin,  the  cele- 
brated painter  of  Indian  portraits,  had,  however,  seen  it,  and 
afterwards  asked  General  Clark  in  regard  to  it,  who  said  that 
it  was  true.1 

When  this  story  was  made  known  in  the  East,  it  aroused 
the  Christian  people.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  soon 
invited  Rev.  Jason  Lee,  of  Canada  East,  to  take  charge  of  the 
mission  they  proposed  to  establish  in  Oregon.  In  1834,  he 
with  his  nephew,  Rev.  Daniel  Lee,  Cyrus  Shepherd  and  P.  L. 
Edwards,  crossed  the  continent  in  the  company  of  N.  J.  Wyeth, 
and  began  work  in  the  Willamette  Valley. 

The  call  also  attracted  the  attention  of  Rev.  Samuel  Parker, 
then  in  Middlefield,  Mass.  He  had  often  thought  of  the  region 
beyond  the  Rockies,  and  when  he  heard  the  story,  it  became  a 
tire  in  his  bones,  so  that  he  offered  himself  to  the  American 
Board  to  go  to  Oregon  the  same  year.1  The  offer  was  not, 
however,  immediately  accepted,  and  when  it  was,  and  Mr. 
Parker  reached  St.  Louis,  he  found  himself  too  late  to  join  the 
annual  fur  traders'  caravan  of  1834.  He  returned,  therefore, 
to  the  State  of  New  York,  to  which  he  had  recently  moved,  and 
spent  the  next  winter  in  lecturing  on  Oregon,  endeavoring  to 
interest  the  churches  in  the  work  and  to  secure  assistants. 

1  Mr.  Catlin  had  painted  the  portraits  of  these  two  young  chiefs 
and  had  traveled  two  thousand  miles  with  them  on  their  return  home. 
These  portraits  are  now  in  the  National  Gallery  of  Portraits  at  Wash- 
ington. The  name  of  one  was  Hee-oh'ks-te-kin  (The  Rabbit  Skin 
Leggings),  and  of  the  other  H'co-a-h'co-a-cotes-min  (No  Horns 
on  His  Head).  The  latter  died  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone 
River  on  his  way  home,  the  former  alone  reaching  his  people. — Cat- 
lin's  North  American  Indian,  pp.  561-2. 

2  For  a  short  sketch  of  Mr.  Parker's  life,  see  appendix  "A." 


28  Marcus    Whitman 

Several  persons  promised  to  go,  at  least  five,  but  of  them  all, 
odIv  two  ever  started,  and  these  were  Dr.  Whitman  and  his 
wife.1 

Dr.  Whitman  was  accepted  by  the  Board  to  go  in  1835 
with  Mr.  Farker.  He  reached  St.  Louis  about  the  first  of 
April,  and  was  joined  a  fe  wdays  later  by  his  companion.2 

Leaving  St.  Louis  April  8th,  they  went  up  the  Missouri, 
most  of  the  way  by  steamer,  until  they  reached  Liberty,  where 
they  joined  the  annual  caravan  of  the  American  Fur  Company. 
Nothing  of  special  note  seems  to  have  occurred  until  they 
reached  the  place  of  rendezvous  on  Green  River,  a  branch  of 
the  Colorado,  on  the  18th  of  August,  except  that  some  employes 
of  the  Company  became  hostile  to  them,  and  declared  their  de- 
termination to  kill  the  missionaries  because  of  their  Sabbath- 
keeping  and  their  temperance  principles.  When,  however,  the 
cholera  broke  out  among  them,  Dr.  Whitman's  professional 
skill,  together  with  Mr.  Parker's  nursing,  were  mainly  instru- 
mental in  saving  the  lives  of  the  men  in  the  Company. 

At  the  rendezvous  Dr.  WThitman  was  called  upon  to  perform 
some  important  surgical  operations.      He  extracted  an  iron 

1  Whether  they  were  acquainted  in  1834  or  not  seems  to  be  un- 
certain, but  probably  not.  This  is  at  least  the  impression  of  Dr.  S. 
J.  Parker,  a  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  Parker.  He  also  thinks  that  his 
father  wrote  Dr.  Whitman  that  he  had  better  go  and  see  her  at  her 
father's  house,  and  that  Mrs.  Whitman  said  in  Mr.  Parker's  parlor 
before  leaving  for  Oregon:  "We  had  to  make  love  somewhat  ab- 
ruptly, and  must  do  our  courtship  now  that  we  are  married." 

Mr.  Parker's  letter  to  his  family  in  regard  to  it  was  dated  December 
5,  1834.  In  it  he  says:  "I  have  found  some  missionaries.  Dr. 
Whitman,  of  Wheeler,  Steuben  County,  New  York,  has  agreed  to 
offer  himself  to  the  Board  to  go  beyond  the  mountains.  He  has  no 
family.  Two  ladies  offer  themselves,  one  a  daughter  of  Judge  Pren- 
tiss, of  Amity,  Alleghany  County,  the  other  a  Miss  McCoy,  of  Cuba, 
offers  herself;  also  one  minister,  very  promising,  except  his  health; 
also  a  Mr.  Clark,  and  Rev.  Samuel  May,  brother  to  Mrs.  Powell." 

2  It  is  not  known  that  any  journals  of  his,  giving  an  account  of  any 
of  his  trips  across  the  Continent,  are  in  existence.  Hence,  in  the 
accounts  which  will  be  hereafter  given,  most  of  the  information  is 
taken  from  journals  and  statements  made  by  his  companions,  especial- 
ly Messrs.  Parker,  Gray,  Lovejoy,  and  some  of  the  emigrants  of  1843, 
and  Mrs.  Whitman. 


Early  Life  29 

arrowhead,  three  inches  long,  from  the  back  of  Captain  Brid- 
ger,  which  he  had  received  three  years  before  in  a  skirmish  with 
the  Blackfeet  Indians.  It  was  a  difficult  operation,  because 
the  arrow  was  hooked  at  the  point,  and  a  cartilaginous  sub- 
stance had  grown  around  it.  The  Doctor  performed  the  oper- 
ation with  great  self-possession  and  firmness,  and  his  patient 
was  equally  firm.  He  also  extracted  from  the  shoulder  of  one 
of  the  hunters  another  arrow  which  had  been  there  for  two  and 
a  half  years.  His  reputation  having  thus  become  favorably 
established,  calls  for  medical  and  surgical  aid  were  almost 
incessant.1 

They  remained  at  the  rendezvous  nine  days,  gaining  all  the 
information  they  could  from  traders,  trappers  and  Indians. 
The  prospect  seemed  to  be  so  favorable  that  it  was  thought  best 
for  Dr.  Whitman  to  return  at  once  to  obtain  missionary  help, 
instead  of  going  on  with  Mr.  Parker  to  assist  in  the  explora- 
tions and  then  return  for  the  needed  assistance.  Mr.  Parker 
was  to  go  on  with  the  Nez  Perces  and  Flathead  Indians  to 
their  countries;  visit  the  English  trading  posts  on  the  Colum- 
bia River ;  learn  the  prospects  of  the  proposed  mission  field ; 
the  number  and  character  of  the  Indian  tribes ;  the  character 
of  the  unknown  country,  its  climate  and  soil ;  the  character  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  whether  missionaries  could  depend 
on  their  friendship  or  not;  whether  bread  and  clothing  could 
be  obtained,  or  whether  the  missionaries  would  be  compelled 
to  depend  on  wild  game,  roots,  berries  and  skins;  the  next 
year  he  was  to  return  to  the  rendezvous  and  make  his  report 
to  Dr.  Whitman  and  any  associates  he  might  bring  to  it.  ]  >r. 
Whitman  first  proposed  this  plan,  which  would  save  a  year  in 
the  work,  but  afterward  he  felt  doubtful  about  leaving  Mr. 
Parker  to  go  on  alone  with  the  Indians.  Mr.  Parker,  however, 
took  the  responsibility  of  the  risk  upon  himself.  On  the  22nd 
of  August  they  separated,  not  again  to  meet  until  1843,  when 

1  This  reputation  proved  to  be  of  great  assistance  to  the  missionary 
party  the  next  year,  when  the  Fur  Company  seemed  determined  to 
run  away  from  them  and  leave  them  to  their  fate  in  the  wilderness. 
Dr.  Whitman's  reputation  for  kindness  and  skill  seemingly  turned  the 
scale,  and  brought  them  at  last  the  protection  which  they  absolutely 
needed. 


30  Marcus    Whitman 

Dr.  Whitman  returned  East  on  his  great  mission  to  save  Ore- 
gon. 

As  Dr.  Whitman  returned  East  with  the  caravan,  he  took 
with  him  two  Indian  boys,  Richard  Tac-i-tu-i-tas  and  John 
I-tes,  one  of  them  the  son  of  a  chief.  This  was  done  on  a 
promise  "to  return  them  in  due  time,  alive  and  unharmed,  to 
their  friends  and  tribe,  under  penalty  of  his  life."  Dr.  Whit- 
man did  it  that  he  might  show  the  American  Board  specimens 
of  the  aborigines  of  the  country.  He  reached  St.  Louis  Novem- 
ber 4th,  and  after  visiting  New  York  City,  returned  to  his 
home  at  Rushville  late  on  Saturday  night.  He  greatly  sur- 
prised the  congregation  the  next  morning  by  walking  boldly 
into  the  Presbyterian  Church,  followed  by  his  two  Indian  boys, 
without  the  least  hint  that  he  might  be  looked  for.  As  they 
supposed  him  to  be  three  thousand  miles  away,  he  produced 
a  sensation  that  was  fresh  in  the  memory  of  many  members  of 
the  congregation  forty  years  afterwards.1 

That  winter  Dr.  Whitman  spent  in  work  for  the  American 
Board,  in  interesting  the  people  in  Indian  missions,  and  in 
trying  to  obtain  assistance  for  Oregon.  It  was  necessary  that 
a  minister  should  be  obtained,  a  married  man,  and  after  a 
long  search  he  secured  in  March  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and  wife, 
then  under  appointment  by  the  Board  to  the  Osage  Mission 
and  on  their  way  to  it  through  the  deep  snow  of  Western 
New  York.2  William  H.  Gray,  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  completed  the 
missionary  band,  augmented  by  Dr.  Whitman's  marriage. 

The  wedding  took  place  on  the  eve  of  starting.  It  was 
while  laboring  in  a  protracted  meeting  at  Angelica  that  he 
had  sought  her  as  his  companion,  to  share  with  him  the  toils 
and  labors  of  a  missionary  life  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
He  told  her  of  the  long,  toilsome  journey  before  they  should 
reach  their  field  of  labor.  Nothing  daunted,  she  replied,  "It 
is  God's  cause;   I  will  go."     They  were  married  in  the  church 

1  Both  boys  went  to  school  that  winter,  improved  rapidly,  and 
went  with  him  the  next  spring  to  Oregon.  After  the  death  of  Dr. 
Whitman,  Richard  was  appointed  Chief  by  Indian  Agent  H.  A.  G. 
Lee,  but  later  was  killed  by  another  Indian. 

2  For  sketch  of  the  lives  of  Messrs.  Spalding  and  Gray,  see  ap- 
pendix "B"  and  "C." 


IUKTII  FLACK   OF   NARCISSA    WHITMAN,    PBATTSBURG,   N*.   V. 


(Ill  BCH    IN    WHICH    l>l{.    AND    MICS.    WHITMAN    WERE    MARRIED,    L836 


Early  Life  3 1 

at  Angelica,  in  February,  1836,  the  ceremony  being  performed 
by  Rev.  Everett  Hull.  She  and  her  sister  were  members  of 
the  choir.     The  hymn, 

"Yes,  my  native  land  I  love  thee, 
All  thy  scenes  I  love  them  well, 
Friends,  connections,  happy  country, 
Now,  I  bid  you  all  farewell," 

was  given  out.  The  whole  congregation  joined  in  singing  it, 
but  before  they  were  half  through,  one  by  one,  they  began  to 
stop.  Sobs  were  heard  in  the  large  audience,  and  the  voice 
ot  Mrs.  Whitman  was  the  only  one  which  held  out  unwavering 
to  the  close,  she  singing  the  last  stanza  alone.  The  hymn, 
"Gently,  Lord,  O  gently  lead  us,"  was  also  sung,  and  the  bene- 
diction of  all  present  followed  those  who  were  soon  to  leave. 


CHAPTER  II. 


ACROSS    THE    CONTINENT. 


Early  in  March  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman  left  home  on  their 
bridal  tour  of  a  few  thousand  miles.  Through  snow  and  mud, 
by  sleigh  and  stage,  they  went  to  Pittsburg.  From  there  they 
traveled  by  steamer  to  St.  Louis,  being  joined  by  Rev.  H.  H. 
Spalding  and  wife  at  Cincinnati.  It  was  their  first  intention 
to  go  far  up  the  Missouri  River  by  boat,  as  Lewis  and  Clark 
had  done,  but  they  failed  in  securing  passage  in  a  boat  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  and,  therefore,  had  to  make  their 
journey  entirely  by  land.  While  at  St.  Louis,  they  secured  the 
pledge  of  protection  for  their  journey  from  the  American  Fur 
Company,  who  were  then  fitting  out  their  annual  expedition 
for  the  mountains.  They  went  by  boat  to  Liberty  Landing, 
where  Mr.  Gray  joined  them.  From  this  point  Mr.  Spalding 
started  by  land  with  the  horses,  cattle  and  two  wagons  for 
Council  Bluffs,  while  Dr.  Whitman  waited  with  the  women 
and  goods  for  the  Company's  boat.  After  some  days  the  boat 
passed,  purposely  leaving  them  behind.  Because  of  this  bad 
faith  he  was  obliged  to  send  forward  to  Mr.  Spalding  for 
horses,  and  then  the  very  serious  question  arose  whether  they 
could  overtake  the  Company,  which  by  that  time  had  four  or 
live  days  the  start  of  them.  It  was  a  desperate  race,  but  they 
won  it.  Dr.  Whitman  had  the  four-horse  farm  wagon;  Mr. 
Spalding  the  light  two-horse  wagon,  and  Mr.  Gray,  with  the 
help  of  the  two  Indian  boys,  took  charge  of  the  horses,  mules 
and  cows. 

Late  in  May  they  overtook  the  Company  on  the  Loup  Fork, 
which  was  about  as  far  as  it  was  safe  for  the  missionary  band 
to  travel  without  protection.  From  this  place  they  moved  on 
well  until  they  reached  Fort  Laramie.  Here  the  Fur  Company 
had  been  accustomed  to  leave  their  carts,  but  Dr.  WThitman  was 
determined  on  account  of  the  ladies  to  take  one  of  the  wagons 


Across  the  Continent  33 

farther.  The  Company  decided  to  try  the  experiment  with 
him,  as  it  would  be  for  their  interest  in  the  future  to  take  carts 
farther,  and  they  took  one  of  their  carts  along,  putting  Dr. 
Whitman  in  charge  of  both. 

The  first  day  thev  had  some  difficulty  because  of  fallen 
timber  in  the  river  bottom,  but  at  night  the  Doctor  came  into 
camp  puffing  and  blowing,  in  good  spirits,  right  side  up,  having 
upset  the  wagon  only  once,  and  the  cart  but  twice.  The  next 
day  the  Company  gave  him  two  additional  men  to  assist  in  ex- 
ploring and  locating  the  road  and  getting  over  the  difficult 
places. 

The  day  they  reached  Independence  Rock  there  was  a  thrill- 
ing episode.  The  caravan  came  near  being  run  over  by  a  heavy 
herd  of  buffalo,  which  were  hidden  by  the  hills  until  the  travel- 
ers were  close  upon  them,  and  suddenly  stampeded.  The  cara- 
van, which  was  about  two  miles  long,  closed  up  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  guard  and  every  man  that  could  be  spared  dashed 
out  upon  the  head  of  the  column  of  buffalo  pouring  down  from 
the  hills  as  if  there  were  no  end  to  it.  On  they  came,  in  spite 
of  many  rifles  pouring  powder  and  balls  into  them  trying  to 
turn  them  off.  The  head  of  the  column  seemed  about  to  strike 
the  caravan  amidships,  and  the  men,  still  striving  to  turn  aside 
the  buffalo,  were  actually  mingling  with  the  travelers.  The 
horses  and  mules  were  snorting  and  bounding  to  break  their 
lines  and  be  off,  and  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save  the 
party  from  being  trampled  to  death  or  stripped  of  their  ani- 
mals. But  at  last  kind  Providence  interposed,  the  leaders 
yielded  to  the  shower  of  balls,  turned  to  the  right,  and  the 
living  torrent  of  "God's  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills"  swept 
alongside  the  caravan  with  eyes  gleaming  fire,  uttering  a  ter- 
rible, unearthly  groan,  and  causing  the  earth  to  tremble  by  the 
tramp  of  their  countless  thousands,  leaving  a  dozen  or  so  lying 
dead  on  the  ground.  "The  scene,"  says  Mr.  Spalding,  "was 
fearful,  thrilling  and  grand  beyond  the  power  of  language." 

Mrs.  Spalding's  health  was  very  poor  much  of  the  way, 
especially  after  reaching  the  buffalo  country,  for  after  that 
there  was  no  bread,  no  food  but  buffalo  meat,  and  it  did  not 
agree  with  her.  Sometimes  she  seemed  to  eat  nothing,  but  to 
subsist  on  the  odor  of  camphor  and  spirits  of  turpentine  and 


34  Marcus  Whitman 

of  the  sage  brush  filling  the  air.  Once  she  fainted.  Then  she 
was  taken  from  her  horse,  laid  down,  fanned  until  she  revived, 
and  then  was  placed  on  her  horse  again,  weeping  and  saying, 
'•Oh,  that  I  had  one  crust  of  bread  from  my  mother's  swill 
pail."  Again  she  begged  to  be  left  to  the  Indians.  "I  cannot 
sit  upon  that  horse  in  this  burning  sun  any  longer.  Oh,  this 
sickness,  this  terrible  pain."  She  said  to  her  husband,  "I  can- 
not live  much  longer.  Go  on  and  save  yourself,  and  carry  the 
Book  of  God  to  those  Indians.  I  shall  never  see  them;  my 
work  is  done,  but  bless  God,  he  has  brought  me  thus  far.  Tell 
my  mother  I  am  not  sorry  that  I  came." 

July  4th  they  entered  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, the  dividing  line  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Slopes. 
There,  on  Independence  Day,  they  alighted  from  their  horses, 
and,  kneeling  down,  with  the  Bible  and  the  American  flag  in 
their  hands,  they  took  possession  of  the  Pacific  Coast  as  the 
home  of  American  mothers  and  for  the  Church  of  Christ.  They 
thanked  God  for  His  sustaining,  protecting  care  over  them, 
for  the  buffalo  food  sent  to  them  daily,  and  humbly  commended 
themselves,  especially  Mrs.  Spalding,  in  her  sinking,  feeble 
state,  to  His  protecting  care  for  the  rest  of  the  journey.  "And 
standing  as  we  did,"  says  Mr.  Spalding,  "upon  the  summit  of 
those  sky-built  mountains,  with  the  bright  forms  of  Brainerd, 
of  Butler,  of  Elliott,  and  Worcester,  early  missionaries  to  the 
Indians  on  the  Atlantic  shores,  almost  in  sight,  bending  over 
the  pearly  gates  of  Heaven  to  bid  us  God  speed,  we  especially 
commended  and  consecrated  our  mission,  to  be  commenced 
somewhere  in  the  yet  far-off  West,  to  Him  who  had  sent  four 
Indians  from  beyond  the  mountains  to  the  rising  sun,  with  the 
Macedonian  cry  for  the  Book  of  God  and  missionaries  to  teach 
it.  The  moral  and  physical  scene  was  grand  and  thrilling. 
Hope  and  joy  beamed  on  the  face  of  my  dear  wife,  though  pains 
racked  her  frame.  She  seemed  to  receive  new  strength.  'Is  it 
a  reality  or  a  dream,'  she  exclaimed,  'that  after  four  months 
of  hard  and  painful  journeyings  I  am  alive,  and  actually 
standing  on  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  yet 
the  foot  of  white  woman  has  never  trod  ?'  There  were  no  mar- 
tial hosts,  no  fife  and  drum,  no  booming  cannon,  no  orator  of 
the  day,  nor  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  but 


c 

H 


C 


05 


Across  the  Continent  35 

there  have  been  few  more  memorable  or  prophetic  scenes  than 
that  when  they  took  possession  of  the  Pacific  Coast  'in  the  name 
of  God  and  the  United  States.'  " 

From  Independence  Rock  an  express  had  been  sent  forward 
announcing  the  movements  of  the  caravan  and  the  time  it  ex- 
pected to  reach  the  rendezvous.  This  information  reached  not 
only  the  trappers  and  traders  but  also  the  Indians,  and  conse- 
quently a  few  of  the  Nez  Perces  and  Flathead  Indians  came 
on  to  welcome  the  missionaries.  They  met  them  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  fourth,  where  they  were  camped  on  the  Little  Sandy, 
a  tributary  of  Green  River,  two  days  before  their  arrival  at  the 
rendezvous.  Among  them  were  Tak-ken-su-i-tas  (Rotten  Belly) 
and  Is-holhol-hoats-hoats  (Lawyer)  with  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Parker.  The  letter  told  them  of  his  kind  reception  by  the  In- 
dians, of  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Jason  Lee  and  party,  and  of  his 
kind  treatment  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who,  however, 
were  really  opposed  to  American  influence  in  the  country,  es- 
pecially in  the  way  of  trade.  The  letter  was  not  very  satisfac- 
tory, for  Mr.  Parker  was  evidently  afraid  he  might  write  some- 
thing which  would  be  detrimental  to  the  mission  work,  through 
the  influence  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  The  Indians  were 
very  happy  when  they  saw  that  Dr.  Whitman  and  their  own 
boys  had  returned,  and  that  with  them  were  a  minister,  the  la- 
dies, and  the  cattle.  They  wanted  to  know  if  the  Book  of  God 
was  there  also,  and  stated  that  they  had  come  to  welcome  them 
and  assist  them  in  going  to  the  Indian  country.  They  wished 
the  missionaries  to  promise  to  go  directly  there. 

On  the  evening  of  July  6  they  arrived  at  the  rendezvous. 
This  was  really  any  place  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  previously 
agreed  upon,  where  the  fur  companies,  traders,  trappers  and 
Indians  of  various  tribes  met  for  trade,  and  where,  for  the  time, 
there  was  to  be  peace  among  all  parties,  however  hostile  they 
might  be  at  other  times  and  places.  From  it  each  fur  com- 
pany returned  to  its  own  side  of  the  mountains,  not  daring  to 
infringe  on  the  territory  of  the  other.  This  year  the  rendez- 
vous was  on  Green  River,  a  branch  of  the  Colorado.  Here  the 
trappers  had  been  about  twelve  days  when  the  missionaries  ar- 
rived, and  here  the  Nez  Perces  came  to  meet  them  in  large  num- 
bers, giving  them  the  hand  with  a  hearty  welcome  as  they  rode 


36  Marcus  Whitman 

by.  There  were  a  large  band  of  young  women  with  their  raven 
black  hair  in  two  plaits,  and  white  dresses  of  goat  skins,  orna- 
mented with  glass  beads  and  haiqua  shells  (the  native  money), 
glistening  in  the  shining  sun.  Riding  gracefully,  with  a  plain- 
tive song  and  smiling  countenances,  these  gave  the  white 
women  such  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  as  to  almost  make 
them  forget  that  they  were  in  a  land  of  savages.  The  older 
women  and  children  came  next,  fully  enveloping  their  white 
sisters,  not  satisfied  until  they  had  taken  them  from  their 
horses  and  saluted  them  with  a  kiss.  Lastly,  the  mountain 
men  and  free  trappers  came,  wishing  to  see  the  white  women, 
as  many  of  them  had  not  seen  one  for  years,  since  they  had 
been  in  the  mountains.  "From  that  day,"  said  one  of  them, 
as  he  thought  of  the  home  of  his  early  childhood,  of  his  mother 
and  his  sisters  and  purity,  "I  was  a  better  man."  Mrs.  Spald- 
ing soon  became  favorite  with  the  Indian  women,  for  she  paid 
them  the  more  attention,  and  also  possibly  because  of  her  poor 
health,  for  which  they  pitied  her.  Mrs.  Whitman,  on  the  other 
hand,  seemed  to  have  more  influence  over  the  mountain  men, 
to  whom  she  paid  the  more  attention.  They  were  rough  men 
who  appreciated  the  education  and  refined  manners  of  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Prentiss.  The  rough  old  mountain  hunter 
would  touch  his  hat  in  a  way  absolutely  ridiculous,  often  even 
failing  to  express  the  compliment  intended,  which  the  mischief 
or  good  humor  of  Mrs.  Whitman  sometimes  enjoyed  as  a  good 
joke.  The  influence  which  she  exerted  over  them  was  felt  in 
the  wildest  regions  long  after  her  death.  It  was  well  that  each 
of  the  women  worked  silently  on  a  different  class  of  persons, 
for  they  thus  undoubtedly  did  far  more  good  than  they  could 
have  done  had  both  been  popular  with  the  same  class. 

Here  were  four  or  five  hundred  mountain  men  and  about 
fifteen  tribes  of  Indians.  There  were  three  classes  of  the 
whites ;  first,  those  permanently  connected  with  the  fur  com- 
panies, who  usually  either  came  from  the  settlements  and  re- 
turned to  them  each  year,  or  perhaps  wintered  at  some  fort 
where  they  had  regular  duties;  second,  the  regular  employes 
of  the  fur  companies,  who  were  hired  to  pack  to  the  mountains, 
trap  one,  two  or  more  years,  as  they  should  choose,  and  return 
when  they  wished  to  the  settlements,  the  furs  they  obtained 


Across  the  Continent  37 

when  thus  trapping  being  sold  to  the  company  which  employed 
them ;  third,  the  free  trappers,  who  hunted  on  their  own  hook, 
went  and  came  as  they  pleased,  and  sold  their  furs  where  they 
could  get  the  best  prices.  On  account  of  the  dangers  to  which 
they  were  exposed,  especially  from  the  Indians,  their  average 
life  in  the  mountains  was  only  about  four  and  a  half  years; 
but  notwithstanding  the  dangers  it  was  a  wild  and  free  life, 
full  of  adventure,  and  very  attractive  to  some  men. 

On  the  third  day  a  grand  review  of  the  Indians  was  given. 
We  give  it  mainly  in  Mr.  Spalding's  words.1 

"A  national  salute  was  given  to  the  whites  by  the  several 
nations.  The  Blackfeet  tribe  led  off  and  fairly  won  the  ad- 
miration of  the  whites  by  their  war  equipments  and  fearfully 
painted  horses,  black  or  yellow,  red  or  white,  according  to  the 
natural  color  of  the  horse.  Next  followed  the  Nez  Perces  and 
Flathead  tribes,  who  received  equal  applause  for  their  masterly 
horsemanship,  very  natural  sham  fights,  and  their  national 
airs  consisting  of  a  few  striking  words  oft  repeated,  but  sung 
in  a  plaintive  tone,  in  which  they  were  joined  by  a  large  band 
of  young  women,  riding  in  an  extended  column  behind,  their 
wonderfully  sweet  voices  keeping  most  excellent  time,  floating 
far  through  the  air,  their  dresses  profuse  with  heavy  bands  of 
white  and  blue  cut  glass  beads,  alternated  with  bands  of 
mother-of  pearl  and  haiqua  shells,  brilliant  in  the  sunbeams, 
their  saddles  rising  in  front  and  behind — natural  and  impor- 
tant supports — and  their  heavy  cruppers  and  breast  bands  of 
the  finest  blue  or  scarlet  red,  elaborately  decorated  and  hung 
with  hawk-bells  and  steel-top  thimbles  and  fine  bead  work, 
hung  with  phylacteries  of  elk  teeth  and  tin  coils,  producing  a 
regular,  loud,  but  not  harsh  jingle  as  their  fiery  steeds  pranced 
slowly  along,  seemingly  unconscious,  not  only  of  their  own 
fiery  dispositions,  but  of  their  female  riders. 

"Several  days  were  taken  up  with  the  reviews  of  one  tribe 
after  another.  By  general  consent  each  tribe  was  afforded  suf- 
ficient time  and  a  fair  opportunity  for  their  display.     Although 

'"Oregon  States  Rights  Democrat,"  1867. 

27C 


38  Marcus  Whitman 

there  was  some  difference  in  the  songs  and  equipments  of  the 
different  tribes,  the  more  hostile  ones  presenting  the  most  wild 
and  furious  spectacle,  yet  the  general  order  was  the  same. 
After  silence  had  settled  down  for  a  few  minutes,  the  attention 
would  be  suddenly  called  to  a  cavalcade  of  horsemen  coming 
in  sight  around  a  point  of  timber  or  hill  and  sweeping  out  upon 
the  plains,  moving  forward  in  a  slow  trot  or  prance,  presenting 
an  extended  and  unbroken  breast  many  columns  deep,  every 
horseman,  except  the  women,  without  saddles,  and  riding  upon 
a  mountain  panther  or  medicine  wolf  skin,  thrown  loosely  over 
the  horse,  twenty  or  thirty  of  the  war  chiefs  or  warriors,  upon 
their  best  horses,  painted  fearfully,  and  some  wearing  buffalo 
horns  and  bear's  claws,  sweeping  up  and  down  in  front  of  the 
lung  column,  haranguing  in  a  loud  and  distinct  voice,  some  of 
the  tribe  nearly  naked  with  buffalo  horns  upon  their  heads  and 
silver  fox  skins  at  their  heels;    most  of  them  with  buckskin 
shirts  and  moccasins  elaborately  decorated  with  fine  beads  and 
porcupine  quills,  and  with  full  grown  white  wolf  or  panther 
skins  streaming  in  full  length  behind  them,  and  with  wild  war 
caps  of  eagle  feathers,  black,  with  red  tips,  extending  far  be- 
hind— all  streaming  and  gleaming  fearfully  in  the  air,  as  these 
Jehus  would  sweep  up  and  down,  now  brandishing  their  spears 
or  muskets,  and  bows,  and  now  balancing  them  high  over  their 
heads;    now  wheeling  and  cross-riding;    now  throwing  them- 
selves on  one  side  of  the  horse,  and  wheeling  and  throwing 
themselves  upon  the  other  side,  and  darting  the  spear  under 
and  before  the  horse's  breast ;  and  all  accompanied  by  the  con- 
stant pounding  of  a  great  number  of  Rocky  Mountain  gongs, 
or  Indian  drums,  the  terrific  screams  of  a  number  of  whistles 
made  of  the  leg-bone  of  the  gray  eagle  and  swan,  the  constant 
jingle  of  the  medicine  rattle  box,  and  the  heavy  clang  of  the 
hawk-bells,  tin  coil,  bear  claws,  and  human  bones  trimmed  with 
human  scalps,  hanging  upon  every  horse — interrupted  now  and 
then  by  a  terrific  battle  yell,  rounding  off  in  a  vibrating  war- 
whoop,  almost  sufficient  to  curdle  the  blood  in  our  veins.     In 
the  center,  and  a  little  in  advance,  is  seen  an  aged  and  pat- 
riarchal one,  wearing  an  American  coat  and  hat,  and  bearing 
in  one  hand  the  American  flag,  and  in  the  other  an  enormous 
calumet,  or  the  great  pipe  of  peace. 


1  OUT   LAKAMIE 


Ut^- 


...v  ../....,..._-.,.„ 


.  4u 

••-^wM(i;,<.,,i     «*«*, 


j'  -<■•-  ■■■»>., 


INDEPENDENCE   |{<><  K 


Across  the  Continent  39 

"At  a  sufficient  distance  the  white  men  and  friendly  tribes 
ore  gathered  round,  forming  three  sides  of  the  great  ring,  while 
the  hostile  tribes  in  close  squads,  each  under  their  own  strong 
guard,  form  the  other  side.  As  the  flag  reaches  within 
twenty  rods  of  the  great  stone  house,  the  old  man  stops;  the 
young  women  close  up  and  continue  their  singing,  and  with  the 
strong  watch  continue  stationary,  while  the  Avarriors  and  young 
men  engage  in  a  sham  battle,  the  American  leaders  standing  in 
the  door  of  the  store,  also  holding  the  American  flag.  Suddenly 
the  horsemen  collect  near  the  flag,  and  in  an  instant  this  great 
throng  of  horses,  thickly  crowded  together,  stands  empty  and 
quiet,  their  riders  gone  for  the  instant;  but  as  if  by  magic, 
and  before  the  eye  can  follow  them,  they  are  seen  already  col- 
lected in  a  thick  group  near  by,  bounding  up  and  down  in  the 
scalp  dance,  all  as  one  being,  first  upon  one  leg  and  then  the 
other,  taking  three  steps,  keeping  the  most  perfect  time  with 
the  beat  of  the  drum  and  the  voice  of  the  singers. 

"Suddenly  the  flag  drops  and  all  is  still.  The  old  man  ap- 
proaches the  white  captain,  the  hand  of  friendship  is  extended, 
the  pipe  of  peace  passed  around,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
beaver  belonging  to  that  tribe  begins  to  come  in  from  the  rear, 
and  pack  after  pack  is  thrown  down  at  the  old  patriarch's  feet, 
who  does  the  trading  for  this  tribe.  The  price  of  each  skin  and 
the  goods  are  fixed,  and  the  articles  required  are  handed  to  the 
old  man  as  fast  as  four  or  five  clerks  can  attend  to  them,  and 
he  again  hands  the  articles  back  into  the  crowd  to  whom  they 
belong. 

"This  tribe  retires  amid  the  shouts  of  the  white  crowd,  to 
give  place  to  another  tribe,  except  perhaps  the  scalp  dance  is 
sometimes  prolonged  to  give  a  late  successful  warrior  an  oppor- 
tunity to  act  over  again  his  bloody  contest  with  his  fallen  foe, 
and  exhibit  the  number  of  real  scalps  he  had  taken,  while  the 
enemy  he  had  thus  afflicted  are  looking  on  with  sullen  counte- 
nances, waiting  to  turn  the  tables  next  day  upon  this  warrior 
and  his  tribe,  by  exhibiting  an  equal  or  greater  number  of 
scalps  which  they  had  taken  in  some  battle. 

"The  mountaineers  seemed  to  adopt  very  readily  the  man- 


40  Marcus  Whitman 

ners,  dress,  habits  and  even  the  gestures  and  walk  of  the  In- 
dian. A  greater  compliment  could  not  be  paid  to  a  free  trap- 
per than  to  persuade  him  that  he  had  been  mistaken  for  an 
Indian  brave.  His  hair,  suffered  to  attain  full  length,  is  care- 
fully combed  out,  and  suffered  to  fall  carelessly  over  his  should- 
ers, or  plaited  and  tied  up  with  otter  or  white  weasel  skin. 
A  hunting  shirt  of  buckskin,  with  heavy  phylacteries  and  cir- 
cles of  porcupine  quills,  falls  to  his  knees,  below  which,  leggings 
of  the  same,  closely  fitted  to  his  calves,  and  beautifully  orna- 
mented with  fine  beads  and  heavy  fringes,  reaches  to  a  pair 
of  moccasins  curiously  wrought  with  scarlet  beads  and  porcu- 
pine quills.  His  blanket  is  girt  about  him  with  a  red  sash  or 
otter  skin,  in  which  is  bestowed  his  pipe,  knife,  and  tobacco 
pouch,  the  latter  wrought  with  beads.  His  gun  is  lavishly 
decorated  with  brass  tacks,  vermillion,  and  eagle's  feathers. 
His  horse,  the  noble  minister  to  the  pride,  profit,  pleasure,  and 
often  safety  of  the  mountaineer,  is  often  caparisoned  in  the 
most  dashing  and  fantastic  style.  His  Indian  wife,  with  her 
horse,  selected  for  his  prancing,  and  her  saddle  and  baby 
cradle,  are  still  more  elaborately  and  expensively  decorated 
with  pounds  of  white  and  black  beads,  haiqua  shells  and  tin 
coils,  elk  teeth  and  hawk-bells,  finger  rings  and  heavy  brace- 
lets, steel  top  thimbles  and  cut-glass  beads,  all  glistening  in 
the  sunbeams  and  producing  a  cheery  jingling,  as  she  gallops 
alongside  of  her  American  'kaina'  (man)  ;  their  babe  lashed 
in  its  cradle,  and  swung  to  the  forehorn  of  her  saddle,  while 
two  white  parflesh  portfolios,  beautifully  decorated  with 
painted  figures,  and  heavy  phylacteries,  containing  her  root- 
stick,  fire  steel,  sinews,  awl,  kimp  and  other  necessaries,  are 
hung  to  the  hind  one. 

"The  yearly  rendezvous  was  a  hey-dey  for  these  modern 
nimrods.  They  would  collect  together  at  the  place  appointed, 
and  await  the  arrival  of  the  traders'  caravan  with  watchful 
anxiety,  and  greet  the  newcomers  (pork-eaters)  with  a  hearty 
good  cheer.  They  would  entertain  each  other  for  hours  with 
prodigious  tales  of  wonders  seen  and  wonders  endured ;  of  In- 
dian fights,  narrow  escapes,  and  comrades  scalped ;  of  fated 
decoys,  by  means  of  Indians  dressed  in  elk  skins  and  apparent- 


Across  the  Continent  41 

ly  feeding  about;  of  starvations;  of  buffalo  bunts  and  buffalo 
feasts;  of  climbing  snow  mountains  and  carrying  sweet  cotton- 
wood  back  to  keep  tbeir  animals  from  perisbing;  of  swimming 
ice-floating  rivers  with  packs  on  their  backs  in  search  of  beaver 
signs;  of  Balaamite  mules,  up  to  Indians  in  ambush;  of 
beaver  up  to  trap  of  the  luck  stream,  where  he  is  brought  to 
medicine.  The  eventful  hours  were  also  relieved  by  a  display 
of  horsemanship,  in  all  their  gay  and  fluttering  attire;  by 
horse  races  and  foot  races ;  by  wrestling,  jumping  and  pound- 
ing noses;  by  boasting  and  counter-boasting. 

"In  the  meantime  a  brisk  trade  is  kept  up ;  the  log  stores 
of  the  company  or  rival  companies  are  thronged  late  and  early 
till  beaver  are  gone,  credit  gone,  whisky  gone,  grass  gone,  stores 
emptied,  and  the  appointed  day  to  break  up  camp  dawns,  when 
suddenly  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Green  River  for  ten  miles  is 
all  alive  with  horses  and  mules  and  human  beings.  The  thou- 
sands, perhaps  tens  of  thousands  of  horses  are  driven  into  their 
several  camps  and  horse  pens,  lodge  poles  taken  down,  lodges 
rolled  up  and  packed,  beaver  bales  packed,  and  pack  saddles  on 
the  mules,  and  the  long  cavalcade  for  St.  Louis  impatient  to 
be  in  motion ;  the  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  and  soul  invigorat- 
ing 'God  bless  you'  goes  around.  The  home-bound  partner 
gives  the  signal  by  firing  his  piece,  followed  instantly  by  a 
thousand  volleys.  The  Canadians  lead  off  in  that  soul-vivify- 
ing Canadian  boat  song,  followed  by  the  Mexican,  the  English, 
and  the  many  Indian  tongues.  As  these  many  natives  and 
languages  start  off  in  all  directions,  the  home-bound  caravan 
for  the  rising  sun,  the  Indian  tribes  for  their  distant  mountain 
homes ;  the  mountain  trappers  moving  camp  with  them,  or 
collecting  in  small  bands,  move  off  to  choice  trapping  fields 
in  the  secluded  glens  of  the  distant  dark  mountains,  to  live 
over  again  their  life  of  peril,  danger,  starvation  and  feasting, 
and  to  come  together  again  with  numbers  greatly  reduced  by 
other  sleepless  foes.  And  the  romantic  valley  relapses  into 
its  pristine  stillness  and  solitude." 

Such  is  Mr.  Spalding's  description  of  life  at  the  American 
rendezvous  in  1830,  when  the  missionary  party  were  there. 


42  Marcus  Whitman 

After  they  had  been  at  this  place  a  few  days,  Captain  Na- 
thaniel Wyeth  appeared,  direct  from  the  Columbia.1 

He  was  on  his  way  East  with  a  party  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  under  Thomas  McKay  and  John  McLeod.  He  gave 
the  missionaries  far  more  information  than  they  had  gained 
from  Mr.  Parker's  letters  and  all  other  sources.  He  told  them 
that  there  were  thousands  of  bushels  of  wheat  raised  around 
the  Company's  forts;  and  that  there  were  flour  mills  at  Col- 
ville  and  Vancouver;  that  Vancouver  contained  shops  and 
stores  where  the  necessaries  of  life  could  be  obtained;  and 
that,  while  the  Company  would  resist  all  interference  in  the 
fur  trade  by  Americans,  yet  as  the  missionaries  had  their 
wives  along,  and  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  Christianizing 
the  Indians,  they  would  probably  be  very  kindly  received  and 
aided  in  every  reasonable  way.  He  soon  introduced  them  to 
Messrs.  McLeod  and  McKay,  and  advised  the  missionaries  to 
put  themselves  under  the  protection  of  these  gentlemen  when 
they  should  return  to  the  Columbia.  This  was  welcome  intelli- 
gence to  the  missionaries,  who  did  not  know  how  they  were  to 
manage  for  the  rest  of  the  journey,  unless  they  were  to  join 
some  band  of  Indians  and  perhaps  winter  in  the  mountains. 
This  arrival  seemed  to  them  the  more  providential  because  pre- 
vious to  this  time  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  not  been 
accustomed  to  send  their  traders  to  this  place  of  rendezvous. 

1  He  had  first  crossed  the  Continent  in  1832  with  the  view  of  trad- 
ing in  furs  and  canning  salmon  on  the  Lower  Columbia.  He  sent  a 
ship  around  Cape  Horn,  but  it  was  never  heard  from,  and  the  enter- 
prise proved  to  be  a  failure  for  that  year.  He  then  returned  East  and 
in  1834  sent  another  vessel  around  the  Horn,  while  he  crossed  the 
continent,  starting  with  seventy  men  (Rev.  Jason  Lee  had  been  in 
his  company  at  this  time).  He  built  Fort  Hall,  then  went  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  where  he  met  his  vessel,  and  built  Fort 
William  on  Sauvie's  Island.  He  was  fairly  in  the  country  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  they  built  Fort  Boise,  where  they  un- 
dersold him.  His  enterprise  on  Sauvie's  Island  proved  a  failure,  and 
he  found  himself  obliged  to  sell  out  to  the  Company  in  1837,  although 
he  returned  East  in  1836,  after  having  lost  a  fortune  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars.  His  was  the  end  of  all  American  efforts  in  the  fur  trade 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  To  use  his  expression,  he  "had 
been  politely  bowed  out  of  the  country"  by  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 


Across  the  Continent  43 

Messrs.  McKay  and  McLeod  did  all  that  Captain  Wyeth  ex- 
pected they  would  in  assisting  the  missionary  band.  They 
chose  the  best  route  for  them,  especially  for  the  ladies,  as- 
sisted them  in  regard  to  food,  and  accommodated  their  march 
to  that  of  the  cattle,  wagon  and  ladies  of  the  missionaries. 
When  Captain  Bridger,  the  famous  mountaineer,  said  good-bye 
at  this  rendezvous  to  Dr.  Whitman,  he  thanked  the  Doctor 
very  heartily  for  extracting  an  arrow-head  from  his  backbone 
the  year  before,  and  promised  to  send  his  half-breed  daughter, 
Mary  Ann,  to  Dr.  Whitman's  mission  when  she  should  be  old 
enough.  This  promise  he  fulfilled,  and  she  remained  at  the 
Doctor's  as  long  as  he  lived. 

All  parties  except  the  Indians  advised  Dr.  Whitman  to 
leave  his  wagon  at  this  place,  but  he  was  determined  to  take 
it  along.  The  Indians,  getting  some  of  his  spirit,  assisted  him 
in  finding  a  wagon  road.  Messrs.  McLeod  and  McKay  said 
that  they  did  not  believe  it  possible  to  take  a  wagon  through 
the  rugged  mountains  of  the  Bear  River  and  the  volcanic 
burning  sand  deserts  of  the  Snake  Country,  though  they  would 
select  the  possible  passes  and  give  him  a  chance  to  settle  the 
question  whether  wagons,  women  and  cattle  could  be  taken 
through  the  "great  and  terrible  wilderness."  From  Soda 
Springs  to  Fort  Hall  was  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  way, 
jet  the  Doctor  persevered.  Mr.  Gray,  after  traveling  the  same 
road  again,  says  he  does  not  see  how  it  was  done.  At  Fort 
Hall  an  assistant  of  the  missionary  party,  Miles  Goodyear,  a 
boy  of  sixteen,  determined  to  leave  the  party  if  the  Doctor 
should  go  farther  with  the  wagon.  The  Doctor  did  not  give 
up,  so  Goodyear  left.  Advice  was  strong  against  taking  the 
wagon  farther,  largely  on  account  of  this  loss  of  help,  and 
partly  on  account  of  this  advice  a  compromise  was  effected. 
The  wagon  was  made  into  a  cart,  the  extra  wheels  and  axle- 
tree  were  packed  on  the  cart,  and  Dr.  Whitman  proceeded. 

In  crossing  Snake  River,  the  cart  and  mules  were  both  up- 
set in  the  river,  and  the  mules,  becoming  entangled  in  the  har- 
ness, came  near  being  drowned,  but  their  ever-present  angel, 
Thomas  McKay,  went  to  their  relief  as  quickly  as  possible  on 
a  strong  horse.  With  the  help  of  a  lasso  rope  and  two  strong 
horses,  with  two  men  swimming  behind  to  steady  it,  he  at  last 


44  Marcus  Whitman 

took  it  ashore,  to  the  great  joy  of  Mrs.  Whitman,  who  saw  her 
husband  struggling  in  the  waters.1 

When  they  reached  Fort  Boise,  Mr.  McKay  stopped,  as 
he  was  in  charge  of  the  Fort.  He  and  Mr.  McLeod  and 
others  of  the  Company  told  the  Doctor  that  it  was  impossible 
to  take  the  wagon  farther  unless  he  should  take  it  to  pieces, 
bend  the  iron  tires,  and  pack  it  on  mules,  with  the  danger  even 
then  of  losing  a  part  of  it  by  the  mules  and  their  loads  falling 
down  precipices.  After  some  consultation  the  Doctor  com- 
promised the  matter  by  agreeing  to  leave  it,  with  the  under- 
standing that  he  or  Mr.  Gray  should  return  and  get  it  after  the 
mission  should  be  located.2 

For  a  time  after  reaching  the  rendezvous  Mrs.  Spalding 
continued  to  grow  weaker.  The  following  is  from  her  journal : 
"July  8.  My  illness  rather  increases,  but  all  is  in  the  hands 
of  my  Saviour,  who  knows  and  will  do  what  is  for  the  best.  I 
am  happy  to  sink  into  his  will  concerning  what  awaits  me." 

The  next  day  Captain  Dripps  found  somewhere  a  handful 
of  dried  apple  and  a  little  flour,  and  brought  them  to  her. 
Her  stomach  retained  this  food,  and  the  fever  left  her.  The 
Indians  also  brought  her  dried  kamas  root  biscuit  which  she 
could  eat,  and  she  began  to  recover.  Salmon  were  afterwards 
obtained,  and  with  other  meat  beside  buffalo  she  regained  her 
strength  so  that  she  made  the  rest  of  the  journey  comfortably. 
Thrice  she  had  very  narrow  escapes  from  death.  The  first  was 
in  the  Bear  River  Valley.  The  Indian  hunters  had  started 
some  antelope,  and  all,  antelope  and  Indians  yelling  after  their 

1  Some  years  later  the  Doctor,  by  his  medical  skill,  saved  his  de- 
liverer from  a  serious  disease.  Still  later,  this  friend  left  his  home 
in  the  Willamette  with  a  company  of  men  to  avenge  the  massacre  at 
Walla  Walla. 

2  The  wagon  was  made  at  Holland  Patent,  New  York,  for  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spalding,  when  they  expected  to  work  among  the  Osage 
Indians,  and  started  with  that  intention.  Mr.  Spalding  made  the 
bed,  cover,  and  some  of  the  running  gear  with  his  own  hands.  With 
the  snow  about  five  feet  deep  when  he  left,  he  placed  the  bed  on 
runners  and  hauled  the  wheels  until  they  reached  ground,  but  finding 
no  reliable  bottom,  it  was  put  on  board  the  steamer  at  Pittsburg  and 
taken  to  Liberty,  Missouri.  It  is  probable  that  to  the  day  of  its 
death  it  remained  at  Fort  Boise. 


I  OUT    BOISE,   Exterior 


***»-., 


"H-*.  u 


$V* 


\  \Pm 


I  OKI'   BOISE,   Interior 


Across  the  Continent  45 

prey,  with  feathers  and  flags  streaming  in  the  air,  flew  through 
the  train,  frightening  the  mules  which  were  hitched  to  the 
wagon  driven  by  Mr.  Spalding.  The  mules  broke  into  a  run 
towards  the  horse  which  Mrs.  Spalding  was  riding  and  which 
was  taking  everything  quietly.  There  was  a  crash  and  a  stifled 
scream.  Mr.  Spalding  struck  the  ground,  stopped  pulling,  and 
immediately  the  mules  stopped.  He  got  up  and  saw  his  wife's 
horse  getting  up,  but  she  lay  motionless  on  the  ground.  He 
raised  her,  and  to  his  joy  found  her  not  much  hurt,  only  jarred ; 
but  how  she  and  the  horse  could  have  been  knocked  down  and 
run  over  by  the  cart  with  so  little  injury  was  very  strange. 
Only  a  kind  Providence  preserved  her. 

Again,  the  day  they  left  Fort  Hall  her  horse,  a  perfectly 
gentle  animal,  stepped  into  a  wasps'  nest  and  jumped  and 
kicked  violently.  She  was  thrown  on  her  head  and  shoulders, 
with  her  foot  hanging  in  the  stirrup.  Thomas  McKay,  riding 
near,  first  sprang  to  her  relief,  with  his  rifle  drawn,  ready  to 
shoot  the  horse  should  he  attempt  to  run,  but  he  did  not.  No 
bones  were  broken,  and  she  was  able  to  move  on  by  being  placed 
in  the  wagon. 

At  the  crossing  of  Snake  River,  August  14th,  too,  Mrs. 
Spalding  had  a  dangerous  experience.  The  river  was  about  a 
thousand  feet  wide,  divided  by  two  islands  into  three  channels. 
Usually  it  was  too  deep  to  ford,  but  at  this  time  the  tallest 
American  horses  were  about  nine  inches  above  water.  The 
two  tallest  were  selected  for  the  women  and  led  by  two  French- 
men. It  was  necessary  to  cross  one  channel  diagonally  up 
stream.  As  they  reached  the  middle  of  the  channel  and  her 
horse  leaned  heavily  against  the  water,  her  head  began  to 
swim  and  she  to  fall  into  the  water.  "In  an  instant  more," 
says  Mr.  Spalding,  "her  fate  would  be  sealed.  No  human  arm 
could  overtake  and  rescue  her  from  the  broad,  sweeping  flood. 
I  yelled,  'Look  at  those  deer  coming  down  that  mountain ;  we 
will  have  meat  for  supper.'  She  righted  immediately,  and  1 
instantly  replied,  'Keep  your  eye  on  that  mountain,  and  let  it 
not  look  at  the  water  again  or  you  are  lost!'  She  understood 
me,  and  said  she  saw  no  more  of  the  river  till  they  reached  the 
shore  all  safe." 

Through  such  dangers  these  first  two  women  journeyed  to 


46  Marcus  Whitman 

Oregon,  and  it  was  not  strange  that  Mr.  Spalding  wrote  to  the 
Home  Board,  "Never  send  another  woman  over  those  moun- 
tains, if  you  have  any  regard  for  human  life."  But  the  deed 
was  done,  never  to  be  undone,  and  two  years  later,  four  more 
women  followed,  other  missionary  women  for  two  years  more, 
and  then  the  emigrants. 

Still,  it  was  a  mighty  undertaking  for  them.  At  Cincin- 
nati and  St.  Louis,  mountain  men  pronounced  the  undertaking 
scarcely  less  than  manslaughter,  and  suggested  the  idea  of 
stopping  Mrs.  Spalding  and  Mrs.  Whitman  by  the  civil  author- 
ities. George  Catlin,  who  had  spent  many  years  among  the 
tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri  in  painting  Indians  and  Indian 
scenes,  said  that  they  could  not  take  the  women  through.  The 
hostile  Indians  that  hover  about  the  convoy  would  fight  against 
any  odds  to  capture  them.  One  woman  tried  it,  but  the  com- 
pany was  massacred,  and  she  was  dragged  away  and  never 
heard  of  again.  They  were  told  that  strong  men,  of  the  parties 
of  Hunt,  Henry  and  Bonneville,  had  suffered  stupendous 
hardships,  had  lost  their  horses,  had  starved,  had  been  com- 
pelled to  live  on  rosebuds  and  old  horse  hides  nearly  all  winter 
in  getting  through,  had  arrived  in  small  parties,  mere  skele- 
tons, barefoot  and  nearly  naked;  that  some  had  perished  out- 
right; that  others  had  been  left,  too  weak  to  go  on,  and  had 
been  picked  up  by  the  Digger  Indians,  who  were  themselves  al- 
most starving  on  a  scanty  supply  of  cakes  made  of  roots  and 
black  crickets — to  be  found  the  next  year  by  their  companions. 

After  they  were  well  on  their  way,  and  saw  how  weak  Mrs. 
Spalding  was,  Captains  Sublette  and  Fitzpatrick  united  in  re- 
monstrance against  her  proceeding  farther,  saying  that  she 
could  not  live  to  get  through  to  the  Columbia;  that  after  she 
should  leave  the  rendezvous  they  would  be  in  a  hostile  Crow 
and  Blackfoot  country,  with  no  probability  of  meeting  any 
traders  there  who  would  conduct  them  through;  that  then 
they  would  be  obliged  to  go  with  the  Nez  Perces  by  their 
route,  which  would  lead  them,  in  order  to  get  buffalo 
meat  for  the  year,  through  the  Wind  River,  Salmon  River 
and  Bitter  Root  Mountains,  probably  to  be  caught  in  the 
snow;  that  the  Crows  and  Blackfeet  would  fight  to  get 
possession    of    them,    for    they    were    always    at    war    with 


Across  the  Continent  47 

the  Xez  Perces  and  Flatheads,  who  were  continually  losing 
people  and  horses  in  these  conflicts.  Mr.  Spalding,  at  Fort 
Laramie,  urged  her  to  remain  there  until  the  Fur  Company 
should  return,  and  then  to  go  back  with  them  to  the  Osage 
Indians,  and  enter  upon  that  work.  But  all  this  did  not  move 
her.  Mrs.  Spalding  said,  "What  mean  ye  to  weep  and  break 
my  heart,  for  I  am  ready  not  to  be  bound  only,  but  to  die  at 
Jerusalem  or  in  the  Kocky  Mountains,  if  need  be,  for  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus."  ''Duty  is  mine ;  my  life,  my  strength,  the 
dangers  of  the  way  are  His."  "I  like  the  command  just  as  it  is, 
'Go  ye  into  all  the  world,'  and  no  exceptions  for  poor  health." 
In  her  journal  she  wrote: 

"June  10.  I  have  been  quite  unwell  for  several  days,  and  I 
attribute  my  illness  wholly  to  change  of  diet,  which  has  been 
from  necessity.  Our  dependence  for  food  is  buffalo  meat 
through  the  remainder  of  our  journey,  which  we  do  not  expect 
will  end  until  September,  if  even  then.  But  I  am  resolved 
not  to  feel  anxious  about  what  awaits  me,  for  my  destiny  is  in 
the  hands  of  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well."  "June  21.  This 
day  we  leave  this  post  (Laramie).  Only  He  who  knows  all 
things  knows  whether  this  dilapidated  frame  will  survive  the 
undertaking.     His  will,  not  mine,  be  done." 

Kev.  Jason  Lee,  after  personally  examining  the  whole  route, 
pronounced  it,  as  all  other  travelers  had  done,  impossible  for 
a  white  woman  to  endure  its  hardships  and  dangers,  and  sent 
for  his  women  missionaries  to  come  around  Cape  Horn.  Two 
weeks  after  Mrs.  Spalding  and  Mrs.  Whitman  had  started  this 
opinion  of  Mr.  Lee  reached  the  East.  Says  Mr.  Spalding: 
"Had  our  wives  seen  this  opinion  of  Mr.  Lee,  they  would  have 
been  deterred,  and  had  they  come  at  all,  they  would  doubt- 
less have  come  around  Cape  Horn."  He  also  adds,  "These 
feeble  women  were  selected  of  God  to  settle  the  question  by 
their  own  sacrifices  and  trials  and  hardships  that  white  women 
and  wagons  and  cattle  could  cross  the  mountains.  The  gold 
of  California  and  of  the  world  could  not  have  induced  them 
to  undertake  what  they  did.  But  God  knew  the  power  that 
would  move  them.      He  brought  a  single  short  sentence  from 


48  Marcus  Whitman 

the  words  of  Jesus,  'Go  teach  all  nations,'  to  bear  upon  their 
minds,  and,  behold,  the  stupendous  national  results."  We 
must  also  remember,  as  has  already  been  stated,  that  it  was  on 
account  of  the  women  that  Dr.  Whitman  determined  to  take 
the  wagon  on  from  Fort  Laramie — the  wagon  which  first  fairly 
went  into  Oregon,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  first  emigra- 
tion by  wagon. 

Mr.  Gray,  in  his  History  of  Oregon,  gives  the  following  de- 
scription of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman  at  this  time :  "Dr.  Whit- 
man was  a  man  of  easy,  don't-care  habits,  that  could  become  all 
things  to  all  men,  and  yet  a  sincere  and  earnest  man,  speaking 
his  mind  before  he  thought  a  second  time,  giving  his  views  on 
all  subjects  without  much  consideration,  correcting  them  and 
changing  them,  when  good  reasons  presented,  and,  when  fixed 
in  the  pursuit  of  an  object,  adhering  to  it  with  unflinching 
tenacity.  A  stranger  would  consider  him  fickle  and  stubborn, 
yet  he  was  sincere  and  kind,  and  generous  to  a  fault,  devoting 
every  energy  of  his  mind  and  body  to  the  welfare  of  the  In- 
dians and  objects  of  the  mission,  seldom  manifesting  fears 
of  any  danger  that  might  surround  him.  At  times  he  would 
become  animated  and  earnest  in  his  argument  or  conversation. 
In  his  profession  he  was  a  bold  practitioner,  and  generally 
successful.  He  was  above  medium  height,  of  spare  habit,  pe- 
culiar hair,  a  portion  being  white  and  dark  brown,  so  that  it 
might  be  called  iron-gray,  deep  blue  eyes,  and  large  mouth.  He 
could  accommodate  himself  to  circumstances,  such  as  dipping 
the  water  from  the  running  stream  with  his  hand  to  drink,  cut 
and  eat  his  food  with  only  a  hunter's  knife;  in  fact,  could 
rough  it  without  qualms  of  stomach. 

"Mrs.  Whitman  was  a  lady  of  refined  feelings  and  com- 
manding appearance ;  she  had  very  light  hair,  light  sandy  com- 
plexion. Her  features  were  large,  her  form  full  and  round. 
At  the  time  she  arrived  in  the  country  in  the  prime  of  life  she 
was  considered  a  fine,  noble-looking  woman,  and  free  to  con- 
verse with  all  she  met.  Her  conversation  was  affable  and 
cheerful.  Firmness  with  her  was  natural,  and  to  some,  es- 
pecially the  Indians,  it  was  repulsive.      She  had  been  brought 


Across  the  Continent  49 

up  in  comparative  comfort,  and  moved  in  the  best  religious 
society  in  the  place  of  her  residence.  She  was  a  good  singer, 
and  one  of  her  amusements,  as  well  as  that  of  her  traveling 
companions,  was  to  teach  the  Doctor  to  sing,  which  she  did 
with  considerable  success;  that  is,  he  could  sing  the  native 
songs  without  much  difficulty.  The  mountain  men  thought 
she  was  a  woman  of  too  much  refinement  to  be  thrown  away 
on  Indians,  and  that  she  must  have  had  considerable  romance 
in  her  disposition  to  have  undertaken  such  an  expedition  with 
such  a  common,  kind,  good-hearted  fellow  as  the  Doctor." 

On  the  2nd  of  September  they  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
one  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  posts.  At  Fort  Walla 
Walla  (now  Wallula)  they  were  received  with  extra  demon- 
strations. These  must  have  been  seen  to  have  been  realized. 
'■The  gates  of  the  Fort  were  thrown  open,"  says  Mr.  Gray,  in 
bis  History  of  Oregon,  "the  ladies  assisted  from  their  horses, 
and  every  demonstration  of  joy  and  respect  manifested.  The 
party  were  soon  led  into  an  apartment — the  best  the  establish- 
ment had  to  offer.  Their  horses  and  mules  were  unloaded 
and  cared  for,  the  cattle  were  not  neglected.  It  appeared  we 
had  arrived  among  the  best  of  friends,  instead  of  total 
strangers,  and  were  being  welcomed  in  the  most  cordial  man- 
ner. We  found  the  gentleman  in  charge,  Mr.  P.  C.  Pambrun, 
a  French  Canadian  by  birth,  all  that  we  could  wish,  and  more 
than  we  expected."  The  choice  game  of  the  prairies,  well- 
cooked,  a  small  supply  of  potatoes,  corn,  and  a  few  melons 
was  a  great  and  agreeable  change  from  the  dried  and  pounded 
buffalo  meat  on  which  the  party  had  mainly  lived  for  a  long 
time.  After  a  few  days  they  went  down  the  Columbia  to 
Vancouver,  Avhere  they  were  received  with  still  greater  demon- 
strations of  joy  than  at  Walla  Walla.  A  special  table  was 
prepared,  called  the  ladies'  table,  at  which  Governor  McLough- 
lin  or  the  next  highest  officer  of  the  Fort  usually  presided. 
The  wives  of  the  governor  and  chief  clerk  at  first  were  not 
permitted  to  eat  with  them,  as  there  was  too  much  native  blood 
in  their  veins,  and  so  it  was  felt  that  they  were  not  sufficiently 
accomplished.  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  however, 
soon   learned  the  family  connections,  and  introducing  them- 


50  Marcus  Whitman 

selves  to  the  two  principal  mothers  of  the  Fort  not  long  after, 
in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  their  husbands,  brought  them 
to  the  table,  with  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  Governor.  They 
took  considerable  pains  to  make  themselves  generally  useful, 
so  that  when,  at  the  end  of  two  weeks,  the  men  of  the  mission 
determined  to  return  east  of  the  Cascades  to  select  their  sta- 
tions and  homes,  the  Governor  would  not  allow  the  ladies  to 
depart  until  the  men  should  first  go  and  do  the  preliminary 
work. 

Here  Dr.  Whitman  received  his  first  insight  into  the  monop- 
oly which  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  held.  When  he  inquired 
about  obtaining  cattle  from  the  Company,  he  was  told  that  he 
could  have  them  on  the  same  terms  that  other  settlers  ob- 
tained them.  This  was  to  take  wild  oxen,  break  them,  use 
them  until  the  Company  required  them,  and  then  return  them ; 
to  take  cows,  use  the  milk,  and  return  the  cows  and  their  in- 
crease, and,  in  case  one  should  get  lost  or  killed,  to  replace  it 
from  the  mission  band ;  for  there  were  no  cattle  in  the  country 
at  that  time  except  those  owned  by  the  Company  and  the  few 
that  the  missionaries  had  just  brought.  Dr.  Whitman  con- 
cluded not  to  mortgage  the  few  he  had  in  that  way. 

Dr.  Whitman  was  in  favor  of  beginning  work  on  the  Co- 
lumbia River,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cowlitz,  below  Vancouver, 
but,  on  account  of  the  influence  of  the  Company,  and  the  in- 
structions of  the  Home  Board,  it  was  thought  best  to  locate 
east  of  the  Cascades.  In  two  weeks  after  their  arrival  the 
gentlemen  of  the  mission,  together  with  Mr.  Pambrun,  who 
had  come  from  Walla  Walla  with  them,  went  up  the  Columbia, 
by  way  of  exploration.  Dr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Gray  liked  The 
Dalles,  but  Mr.  Spalding  and  Mr.  Fambrun  opposed  it.  Dr. 
Whitman's  idea  was  that  there  were  many  Indians  at  The 
Dalles,  as  it  was  a  great  fishery,  and  that  if  a  mission  were 
established  there,  a  ship  could  come  from  Boston  so  near  to 
them  that  the  mission  would  be  independent  in  time.  This 
was  plainly  what  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  did  not  want, 
for  it  might  in  time  lead  to  the  undermining  of  the  Company's 
power  and  profits.  The  Company  urged  the  establishment  of 
stations  farther  up  the  Columbia,  and  promised  to  furnish 


Across  the  Continent  51 

the  supplies  necessary  for  the  mission  without  the  need  of  a 
special  ship.1 

Dr.  McLoughlin  gave  them  an  order  on  Fort  Colville  for  all 
the  grain  and  wheat  they  should  need  for  two  years,  expect- 
ing, after  that,  that  they  would  be  able  to  raise  their  own 
wheat  and  build  their  own  mill.  It  was  also  for  the  Com- 
pany's interests  to  oppose  a  mission  on  the  Cowlitz,  for  they 
did  not  want  any  Americans  to  settle  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Columbia.  They  believed  that  if  England  should  not  obtain 
all  of  Oregon  the  Columbia  would  be  the  dividing  line,  and 
they  felt  that  it  might  jeopardize  England's  interests,  and  with 
her's  those  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  if  Americans  made 
settlements  of  any  kind  in  that  region. 

In  regard  to  a  station  at  The  Dalles  they  also  stated  that 
the  Indians  there  were  the  worst  in  the  region,  because  they 
held  the  gateway  between  the  regions  east  and  west  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains,  and  so  could  charge  a  heavy  toll,  and  were 
much  addicted  to  thieving.  This  was  true.  Still,  Dr.  Whit- 
man's ideas  were  correct,  for  a  few  years  later  the  Methodists 
established  a  mission  at  the  place,  which  proved  to  be  their 
most  successful  one  by  far;  the  only  one  they  did  not  close  up 
in  1845,  and  which  Dr.  Whitman  bought  in  1817  just  before 
his  death.  But  the  ideas  of  Mr.  Pamburn  and  the  Company 
prevailed  at  that  time  and  the  men  proceeded  up  the  river. 

Dr.  Whitman's  station  was  selected  on  the  Walla  Walla 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek,  six  miles  from  the  present 
city  of  Walla  Walla,  and  twenty-five  from  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company's  fort  of  that  name.  It  was  named  Wai-i-lat-pu, 
"the  place  of  rye  grass."  A  house  was  soon  built,  the  mission 
horses,  cattle  and  goods  brought  there,  and  Mr.  Gray  left  in 
charge,  while  Mr.  Spalding  and  Dr.  Whitman  went  to  the 
Xcz  Perces  country  to  select  a  station  for  Mr.  Spalding.     Dr. 

1  This  promise  was  thoroughly  fulfilled  as  long  as  the  mission 
lasted.  All  that  the  missionaries  had  to  do  was  to  make  out  their 
orders  for  goods,  which  were  sent  by  the  Company  to  England,  and 
were  paid  for  by  drafts  on  the  American  Board.  Generally,  too,  when 
these  goods  arrived  by  ship  at  Vancouver,  the  Company  sent  them 
up  the  Columbia  as  far  as  Fort  Walla  Walla  at  a  very  reasonable 
charge  for  freight. 


52  Marcus  Whitman 

Whitman  then  returned  to  his  station  to  erect  more  buildings, 
and  Mr.  Spalding  went  to  Vancouver  for  the  ladies.  He  pro- 
cured an  outfit  valued  at  over  a  thousand  dollars,  clothing, 
bedding,  material  for  building  and  farming,  medicines,  Indian 
goods  and  the  like,  and  with  the  ladies,  with  whom,  however, 
Dr.  McLoughlin  was  quite  loth  to  part,  left  Vancouver,  Novem- 
ber 3rd,  arriving  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  on  the  13th.  Here 
they  were  met  by  a  large  party  of  Nez  Perces,  who  in  council 
granted  Mr.  Spalding,  according  to  a  promise  made  at  the 
American  rendezvous,  a  title  to  the  Lapwai  mission  station 
as  a  home  for  himself  and  wife  for  life.  Soon  afterward  Mr. 
Spalding  and  wife  left  for  that  place,  where  they  arrived 
November  29th.  They  had  to  camp  in  a  lodge  made  of  buffalo 
skins  until  December  23rd,  when  their  house  was  so  far  fin- 
ished that  they  moved  into  it. 

After  remaining  about  three  weeks  at  the  Fort  at  Mr.  Pam- 
burn's  earnest  request,  Mrs.  Whitman  reached  her  home  at 
Wai-i-lat-pu  on  the  10th  of  December.  There  she  found,  as  a 
result  of  the  Doctor's  labors,  a  house  and  lean-to  enclosed,  with 
a  good  chimney  and  fireplace  and  the  floor  laid;  but  with  no 
doors  or  windows  (except  blankets),  nor  bedstead,  chairs  or 
table,  or  anything  from  which  to  make  them  except  green  Cot- 
tonwood, and  all  boards  to  be  sawed  by  hand.  The  long  bridal 
tour  was  ended,  and  they  were  ready  to  receive  callers. 

She  was  happy,  and  wrote,  "Where  are  we  now,  and  who 
are  we  that  we  should  be  thus  blessed  of  the  Lord?  I  can 
scarcely  realize  that  we  are  thus  comfortably  fixed  and  keep- 
ing house,  so  soon  after  our  marriage,  when  considering  what 
was  then  before  us." 

Besides  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  who  were  about  ninety 
miles  distant,  their  nearest  missionary  neighbors  were  the 
Methodists  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  near  where  Salem  now 
is,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away.  There  were  four 
men,  Rev.  Jason  Lee,  P.  L.  Edwards,  Rev.  Daniel  Lee,  and 
Cyrus  Shepherd.  These  had  crossed  the  Continent  in  1834  and 
begun  mission  work,  having  established  a  school  called  "The 
Oregon  Mission  Manual  Labor  School,"  where  some  dozens  of 
Indian  children  were  in  attendance.  They  had  sent  for  rein- 
forcements to  come  by  way   of  Cape  Horn,   and  these  had 


Across  the  Continent  53 

started,  but  had  not  yet  arrived.  They  were  noble  pioneers, 
who  then  and  there  laid  the  foundations  of  what  proved  to  be 
1he  first  American  settlement  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  laid  it, 
providentially  and  fortunately,  with  Christianity  at  the  center. 
Besides  these  neighbors  there  were  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany's forts;  Boise,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  Hall, 
five  hundred  miles  toward  the  east;  Walla  Walla,  twenty-five, 
and  Vancouver,  three  hundred  miles  westward ;  Umpqua,  two 
hundred  miles  southerly  from  Vancouver ;  Colville  and  Okano- 
gan, two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  northward; 
and  Astoria,  the  earliest  settlement  in  the  country,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  almost  deserted,  except  by  a  few  em- 
ployes of  the  Company.     This  was  all  except  Indians. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ACROSS  THE  PLAINS — CONTINUED. 

Mrs.  Whitman's  Journal. 

As  the  journey  of  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs.  Spalding  was 
the  first  one  ever  made  by  white  women  across  the  Continent, 
the  following  account  of  it  by  Mrs.  Whitman  is  given.1  The 
first  part  is  in  the  form  of  letters ;  the  latter  in  that  of  a 
journal.2 

On  Board  Steamboat  at  Siam,  March  15,  1S36. 

Dear,  Dear  Mother — Your  proposal  concerning  keeping  a 
diary  as  I  journey,  comes  before  my  mind  often.  I  have  not 
found  it  practicable  while  traveling  by  land,  although  many 
events  have  passed  which,  if  noted  as  they  occurred,  might  have 
been  interesting.  We  left  Pittsburg  this  morning  at  ten 
o'clock.  It  is  delightful  passing  down  the  waters  of  the  beau- 
tiful river. 

March  28.  We  have  just  come  on  board  the  Majestic.  It 
is  rightly  named,  for  it  is  one  of  the  largest  boats  on  the  river. 
We  are  now  sailing  on  the  waters  of  the  great  Mississippi. 
We  arrived  at  Cincinnati  Thursday  noon ;  found  Brother 
Spalding.      Said  he  had  been  waiting  for  us  anxiously  for  a 

'A  few  unimportant  parts  are  omitted.  Mrs.  Spalding  also  kept 
a  journal  during  the. journey,  but  it  is  entirely  different  from  that  of 
Mrs.  Whitman's,  being  mainly  an  account  of  her  own  religious  feel- 
ings and  experiences,  and,  in  the  words  of  Hon.  S.  A.  Clark,  is  too 
sacred  for  the  public  gaze. 

2  These  were  obtained  by  the  author  and  G.  H.  Himes,  Secretary 
of  the  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,  and  were  first  published  in  the 
Walla  Walla  Union  of  January,  1889,  and  in  the  Transactions  of  the 
Oregon  Pioneer  Association  in  1891  and  1893. 


Across  the  Continent  55 

fortnight.  Spent  the  remainder  of  the  week  in  making  ar- 
rangements for  our  journey,  and  on  the  Sabbath  had  a  very 
interesting  time  with  the  disciples  of  Jesus  there ;  felt  strength- 
ened and  comforted  as  we  left  them  to  pursue  our  journey  into 
the  wilderness.  Much  good  feeling  was  manifested  in  the 
churches — a  deep  interest  appeared  to  be  taken  in  the  missions. 
Especially  our  two  Indian  youths  attracted  the  gaze  and  ad- 
miration of  a  crowd  on  Sabbath  evening.  We  left  Tuesday 
noon  on  the  Junius  and  expected  to  arrive  in  St.  Louis  before 
the  Sabbath,  but  our  expectation  was  not  realized,  and  Satur- 
day night  found  us  on  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  eighty- 
nine  miles  from  St.  Louis.  We  felt  it  our  duty  not  to  travel 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  determined  to  leave  the  boat,  although 
many  on  board  tried  to  persuade  us  to  remain,  and  have 
preaching  on  the  Sabbath,  and  of  the  number,  one  was  a  Pres- 
byterian minister  from  New  York,  who  appeared  quite  anxious 
to  detain  us.  At  ten  o'clock  we  landed  at  Chester,  Illinois, 
and  had  a  most  delightful  Sabbath  of  rest,  with  the  few  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  we  found  there.  An  aged  minister  who  had 
been  toiling  in  this  part  of  the  vineyard  ever  since  the  year 
1817,  we  found  of  a  kindred  spirit.  He  preaches  to  several 
congregations.  Said  he  had  not  had  a  brother  minister  to 
preach  for  him  since  he  had  been  there,  and  to  have  a  mission 
family  call  and  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  Sabbath  with  him, 
seemed  like  angels'  visits.  He  had  heard  of  their  passing  and 
repassing  often.  Mr.  Spalding  preached  in  the  forenoon,  and 
in  the  afternoon  my  husband  requested  the  children  and  youth 
to  meet  in  a  Sabbath  School,  and  we  distributed  a  number  of 
books  among  them.  Of  the  number,  we  found  one  young  man 
who  professed  to  be  a  Roman  Catholic — said  he  wanted  to 
know  our  religion — had  not  a  Protestant  Bible,  but  if  he  had 
one  would  read  it  attentively.  My  husband  gave  him  a  Tesia- 
ment,  for  which  he  appeared  grateful. 

Since  we  came  on  board,  we  have  come  on  very  pleasantly. 
Our  accommodations  are  better  here  than  on  any  previous 
boat. 

lUth,  Tuesday  morning.  We  shall  expect  to  see  St.  Louis 
today.  Evening.  We  are  now  in  port.  Husband  has  been  to 
the  office  expecting  to  find   letters  from  dear,  dear  friends  at 


56  Marcus  Whitman 

home,  but  found  none.  Why  have  they  not  written?  Seeing 
it  is  the  very  last,  last  time  they  will  have  to  cheer  my  heart 
with  intelligence  from  home,  home,  sweet  home,  and  the  friends 
I  love.  But  I  am  not  sad.  My  health  is  good.  My  mind  com- 
pletely occupied  with  present  duty  and  passing  events.  St. 
Louis  has  a  commanding  situation. 

Wednesday,  30th.     A  boat  is  in  port,  ready  to  take  us  up 
the  Missouri,  and  will  leave  today.      When  we  were  in  Pitts- 
burg we  heard  that  the  Fur  Company's  steamboat,  "Diana," 
had  left  St.  Louis.      We  then  expected  to  make  our  journey 
from  Liberty  to  Bellview  by  land,  probably  on  horseback,  300 
miles  of  which  would  have  been  the  most  difficult  part  of  the 
journey,  on  account  of  the  season  and  high  water.     But  Provi- 
dence has  ordered  it  otherwise.      Since  we  arrived  here  we 
learn  that  the  "Diana"  snagged  herself  and  sunk,  but  in  shal- 
low water,  so  that  no  lives  were  lost.     We  have  the  promise 
of  overtaking  her  before  we  reach  Liberty.     She  is  now  lying 
up  for  repairs  and  drying  her  freight.     We  had  a  call  from  a 
gentleman  this  morning  who  has  resided  in  the  mountains. 
Richard  knew  him  very  well — is  going  back  with  us.     He  was 
formerly  from  Cincinnati.      It  seems  to  me  now  that  we  are 
on  the  very  borders  of  civilization,  although   we  shall   pass 
many  towns  on  our  way  to  Liberty.     At  this  moment  my  feel- 
ings are  peculiar.     I  hardly  know  how  to  define  them.     I  have 
not  one  feeling  of  regret  at  the  step  which  I  have  taken,  but 
count  it  a  privilege  to  go  forth  in  the  name  of  my  Master, 
cheerfully  bearing  the  toil  and  privation  that  we  expect  to  en- 
counter.     I  intend  to  write  home  from  Council  Bluffs  if  I  am 
not  prevented,  and  give  some  statements  which  I  cannot  now. 
We  could  not  pack  all  contained  in  that  box  sent  us  from  An- 
gelica.    What  we  could  not,  Brother  Whitman  took  home  to 
sell  for  us,  and  send  the  avails  to  St.  Louis.      How  anxiously 
I  looked  for  a  line  or  two  from  some  one  of  the  dear  family 
in  that  box  somewhere,  but  I  saw  none.     Jane,  don't  forget  to 
write  to  them  for  me.      It  is  out  of  my  power  to  write  as 
much  as  I  should  like  to.     How  often  I  think  of  Christians  in 
Angelica — those  beloved  sisters  and  brothers,  with  whom  we 
have  knelt  before  the  altar  of  prayer.     Surely,  now  I  feel  the 
influence  of  their  prayers,  although  widely  separated.      Say 


Across  the  Continent  57 

to  them  we  wish  them  to  rejoice  with  us,  and  thank  God  for 
His  kind  protection,  and  the  prosperity  which  has  attended 
us  since  we  left  home.  We  are  making  arrangements  for 
crossing  the  mountains,  and  shall  expect  to,  unless  prevented 
in  the  Providence  of  God.  I  think  I  should  like  to  whisper 
in  mother's  ear  many  things  which  I  cannot  write.  If  I  could 
only  see  her  in  her  room  for  one-half  hour!  This  much  I  can 
say,  mother,  I  have  one  of  the  kindest  husbands,  and  the  very 
best  every  way. 

I  have  become  very  much  interested  in  the  Nez  Perces  lads. 
They  are  very  affectionate  and  seem  to  wish  to  please  us  in 
everything.      We  think  they  will  be  of  great  service  to  the 
mission  in  various  ways. 
On  Board  Steamboat  Charlton.     Thursday,  March  31,  1836. 

We  left  St.  Louis  immediately  after  dinner,  passed  many 
delightful  residences  in  Missouri  on  the  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, just  as  we  leave  the  city.  Twilight  had  gone  when  we 
entered  the  waters  of  the  great  Missouri,  but  the  moon  shone 
in  her  brightness.  It  was  a  beautiful  evening.  My  husband 
and  myself  went  upon  the  top  of  the  boat  to  take  a  more 
commanding  view  of  the  scenery.  How  majestic,  how  grand 
was  the  scene.  "Surely,  how  admirable  are  Thy  works,  O 
Lord  of  Hosts."  I  could  have  dwelt  on  the  scene  still  longer 
with  pleasure,  but  Brother  Spalding  called  us  to  prayers,  and 
we  left  beholding  the  works  of  God  for  His  worship. 

April  1st.  Nothing  of  much  importance  occurred  today. 
My  eyes  are  satiated  with  the  same  beautiful  scenery  all  along 
the  coasts  of  this  mighty  river,  so  peculiar  to  this  western 
country.  One  year  ago  today  my  husband  first  arrived  in  St. 
Louis  on  his  exploring  route  to  the  mountains.  We  are  one 
week  earlier  passing  up  the  river  this  year  than  he  was  last 
year. 

April  2nd.  Evening,  ten  o'clock.  We  have  come  on  well 
since  we  left  St.  Louis.  Sailed  all  night  last  night,  which  is 
a  rare  thing  on  this  river,  on  account  of  the  snags  and  sand 
bars.  We  are  now  at  Jefferson  City,  about  half-way  to  Liberty 
from  St.  Louis. 

Monday,  J/th.  We  passed  the  wreck  of  the  steamer  Siam 
today  about  noon.     It  is  indeed  a  melancholy  sight.      She  ran 


58  Marcus  Whitman 

upon  a  snag  and  sank  last  winter.  She  was  not  quite  a  year 
old.  No  lives  lost.  We  stopped  today  at  Chariton  about  an 
hour. 

Thursday,  7thr  Very  pleasant,  but  cold.  Mary,  we  have 
had  a  sick  one  with  us  all  the  way  since  we  joined  Dr.  Sat- 
tarlee.  Mrs.  Satterlee  has  had  a  very  bad  cough  and  cold 
which  has  kept  her  feeble.  She  is  now  recovering,  and  is  as 
well  as  can  be  expected.1  The  rest  of  us  have  been  very  well, 
except  feeling  the  effects  of  drinking  the  river  water.  I  am  an 
exception,  however;  my  health  was  never  better  since  1  have 
been  on  the  river.  I  was  weighed  last  week  and  came  up  to 
13G  pounds.  I  think  I  shall  endure  the  journey  well,  perhaps 
better  than  any  of  the  rest  of  us.  Mrs.  Spalding  does  not  look 
or  feel  quite  healthy  enough  for  our  enterprise.  Riding  affects 
her  differently  from  what  it  does  me.  Everyone  who  sees  me 
compliments  me  as  being  the  best  able  to  endure  the  journey 
over  the  mountains.  Sister  S.  is  very  resolute,  no  shrinking 
with  her.  She  possesses  much  fortitude.  I  like  her  very 
much.  She  wears  well  upon  acquaintance.  She  is  a  very 
suitable  person  for  Mr.  Spalding,  has  the  right  temperament  to 
match  him.  I  think  we  shall  get  along  very  well  together. 
We  have  so  far.  I  have  such  a  good  place  to  shelter — under 
my  husband's  wings.  He  is  so  excellent.  I  love  to  confide  in 
his  judgment  and  act  under  him.  He  is  just  like  mother  in 
telling  me  of  my  failings.  He  does  it  in  such  a  way  that  I 
like  to  have  him,  for  it  gives  me  a  chance  to  improve.  Jane, 
if  you  want  to  be  happy,  get  as  good  a  husband  as  I  have  got, 
and  be  a  missionarv.  Mary,  I  wish  vou  were  with  us.  You 
would  be  as  happy  as  I  am. 

Since  we  have  been  here  we  have  made  our  tent.  It  is 
made  of  bedticking.  Is  a  conical  form,  large  enough  for  us  all 
to  sleep  under,  viz :  Mr.  Spalding  and  wife,  Dr.  Whitman  and 
wife,  Mr.  Gray,  Richard  Tak-ah-too-ah-tis,  and  John  Aitz;  quite 
a  little  family ;  raised  with  a  center  pole,  and  fastened  down 
with  pegs,  covering  a  large  circle.  Here  we  shall  live,  eat  and 
sleep  for  the  summer  to  come  at  least,  perhaps  longer.  Mary, 
you  inquired  concerning  my  beds  and  bedding.      I  will  tell 

1  She  died  soon  after. 


KEY.    HEXKY   II.   SPALDING 


w  11  I  I  AM    II.    GRAY: 
Assistant    Missionary  i<>  Dr.  Whltmai 


Across  the  Continent  59 

* 

you.  We  five  spread  our  India  rubber  clotb  on  the  ground, 
then  our  blankets,  and  encamp  for  the  night.  We  take  plenty 
of  Mackinaw  blankets,  which  answer  for  our  bed  and  bedding, 
and  when  we  journey,  place  them  over  our  saddle  and  ride  on 
them.     I  wish  you  could  see  our  outfit. 

I  had  made  for  me  in  Brother  Augustus'  shoe  store  in  Rush- 
ville  a  pair  of  gentleman's  boots,  and  from  him  we  supplied 
ourselves  with  what  shoes  we  wanted.  We  have  each  of  us  a 
life  preserver,  so  that  if  we  fall  into  the  water  we  shall  not 
drown.  They  are  made  of  India  rubber  cloth,  air  tight,  and 
when  filled  with  air  and  placed  under  the  arm,  will  prevent 
one  from  sinking.  Each  of  us  take  a  plate,  knife  and  fork 
and  tin  cup.  Husband  has  got  me  an  excellent  side  saddle 
and  a  very  easy  horse.  He  made  me  a  present  of  a  mule  to 
ride  the  other  day.  I  do  not  know  which  I  shall  like  best. 
I  have  not  tried  the  latter.  Richard  says,  ''That's  a  very  bad 
mule — can't  catch  buffaloes."  That  is  the  test  with  him.  An 
animal's  speed  makes  him  good,  in  his  eye.  I  will  write  you 
from  Council  Bluffs,  and  at  every  opportunity  (to  send)  when 
Mr.  Parker  returns.  We  have  lately  received  a  letter  from 
Mrs.  Parker.  O,  what  a  spirit  it  breathed.  When  we  were 
there  she  said,  if  we  could  not  get  a  minister  to  go  with  us, 
we  might  keep  Mr.  Parker  until  one  came,  if  we  would  only  go 
on,  and  even  now  she  has  given  permission  for  him  to  stay 
a  year  longer,  and  visit  another  tribe  to  the  South. 

Alas!  My  husband  does  not  come  tonight.  The  wind  lias 
blown  so  hard  that  I  expect  he  has  not  been  able  to  cross  the 
river.  Brother  Gray  is  with  him;  I  shall  not  feel  so  anxious 
about  him  on  that  account,  so  adieu  for  tonight.  It  is  most 
ten  o'clock,  and  the  family  have  all  gone  to  rest.  I  should  like 
to  tell  you  how  the  western  people  talk,  if  I  bad  room.  Their 
language  is  so  singular  that  I  could  hardly  understand  them, 
yet  it  is  very  amusing.  In  speaking  of  quantity,  they  say, 
''heap  of  man,  heap  of  water,  she  is  a  heap  sick,"  etc.  If  you 
ask,  "How  does  your  wife  do  today?"  "O,  she  is  smartly 
better,  T  reckon,  but  she  is  powerful  weak;  she  has  been  mighty 
had,  what's  the  matter  with  your  eye?" 

Platte  River,  just  ahove  the  Forks:  June  3,  1836,  Friday 
eve,  six  o'clock.     We  have  just  encamped  for  (lie  night  near  the 


60  Marcus  Whitman 

bluffs,  over  against  the  river.  The  bottoms  are  a  soft,  wet 
plain,  and  we  were  obliged  to  leave  the  river  yesterday  for 
the  bluffs.  The  face  of  the  country  yesterday  afternoon  and 
today  has  been  rolling  sand  bluffs,  mostly  barren,  quite  unlike 
what  our  eyes  have  been  satiated  with  for  weeks  past.  No 
timber  nearer  than  the  Platte,  and  the  water  tonight  is  very 
bad,  got  from  a  small  ravine.  We  have  usually  had  good 
water  previous  to  this. 

Our  fuel  for  cooking  since  we  left  timber  (no  timber  except 
on  rivers)  has  been  dried  buffalo  dung.  We  now  find  plenty 
of  it,  and  it  answers  a  very  good  purpose,  similar  to  the  kind 
of  coal  used  in  Pennsylvania  (I  suppose  now  Harriet  will 
make  up  a  face  at  this,  but  if  she  were  here  she  would  be  glad 
to  have  her  supper  cooked  at  any  rate  in  this  scarce  timber 
country).  The  present  time  in  our  journey  is  a  very  impor- 
tant one.  The  hunter  brought  us  buffalo  meat  yesterday  for 
the  first  time.  Buffalo  have  been  seen  today,  but  none  taken. 
We  have  some  for  supper  tonight.  Husband  is  cooking  it. 
No  one  of  the  company  professes  the  art  but  himself.  I  ex- 
pect it  will  be  very  good.  Stop;  I  have  so  much  to  say  to 
the  children  that  I  do  not  know  in  what  part  of  my  story  to 
begin.  I  have  very  little  time  to  write.  I  will  first  tell  you 
what  our  company  consists  of.  We  are  ten  in  number — five 
missionaries,  three  Indian  boys  and  two  young  men  employed 
to  assist  in  packing  animals. 

Saturday,  Jfth.  I  wrote  last  night  till  supper.  I  told  you 
how  many  bipeds  there  were  in  our  company;  now  for  the 
quadrupeds :  Fourteen  horses,  six  mules,  and  fifteen  head  of 
cattle.  We  milk  four  cows.  We  started  with  seventeen,  but 
we  killed  one  calf,  and  the  Pur  Company,  being  out  of  pro- 
vision, have  taken  one  of  our  cows  for  beef.  It  is  usually 
pinching  times  with  the  Company  before  they  reach  the  buf- 
falo. We  have  had  plenty,  because  we  made  ample  provision 
at  Liberty.  We  purchased  a  barrel  of  flour,  and  baked  enough 
to  last  us  with  killing  a  calf  or  two  until  we  reached  the 
buffalo. 

The  Fur  Company  is  large  this  year ;  we  are  really  a  mov- 
ing village;  nearly  four  hundred  animals,  with  ours,  mostly 
mules,  and  seventy  men.     The  Fur  Company  have  seven  wag- 


Across  the  Continent  61 

ons,  drawn  by  six  mules  each,  heavily  loaded,  and  one  cart 
drawn  by  two  mules,  which  carries  a  lame  man,  one  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  Company.  We  have  two  wagons  in  our 
Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.,  husband  and  myself  ride  in  one. 
Mr.  Gray  and  the  baggage  in  the  other.  Our  Indian  boys 
drive  the  cows,  and  Dulin  the  horses.  Young  Miles  leads  our 
forward  horses,  four  in  each  team.  Now,  E.,  if  you  want  to 
see  the  camp  in  motion,  look  away  ahead,  and  see  the  pilot, 
and  the  Captain,  Fitzpatrick,  just  before  him ;  next  the  pack 
animals,  all  mules,  loaded  with  great  packs.  Soon  after  you 
will  see  the  wagons,  and  in  the  rear  our  Company.  We  all 
cover  quite  a  space.  The  pack  mules  always  string  along,  one 
after  the  other  just  like  Indians.  There  are  several  gentlemen 
in  the  Company,  who  are  going  over  the  mountains  for  plea- 
sure. Captain  Stewart,1  he  is  an  Englishman,  and  Mr.  Celam. 
We  had  a  few  of  them  to  tea  with  us  last  Monday  evening. 
Captains  Fitzpatrick,  Stewart,  Major  Harris  and  Celam.  I 
wish  I  could  describe  to  you  how  we  live,  so  that  you  can  real- 
ize it.  Our  manner  of  living  is  far  preferable  to  any  in  the 
States.  I  never  was  so  contented  and  happy  before,  neither 
have  I  enjoyed  such  health  for  years.  In  the  morning  as 
soon  as  the  day  breaks,  the  first  that  we  hear  is  the  words, 
" Arise,  Arise!"  Then  the  mules  set  up  such  a  noise  as  you 
never  heard,  which  puts  the  whole  camp  in  motion.  We  en- 
camp in  a  large  ring,  baggage  and  men,  tents  and  wagons 
on  the  outside,  and  all  the  animals,  except  the  cows,  which  are 
fastened  to  pickets,  within  the  circle.  This  arrangement  is 
to  accommodate  the  guard,  who  stand  regularly  every  night 
and  day,  also  when  we  are  in  motion,  to  protect  our  animals 
from  the  approach  of  Indians,  who  would  steal  them.  As  I 
said,  the  mules'  noise  brings  every  man  on  his  feet  to  loose 
them  and  turn  them  out  to  feed.  Now,  H.  and  E.,  you  must 
think  it  very  hard  to  have  to  get  up  so  early  after  sleeping 
on  the  soft  ground,  when  you  find  it  hard  work  to  open  your 
eyes  at  seven  o'clock.  Just  think  of  me;  every  morning  at 
the  word  "Arise,"  we  all  spring.  While  the  horses  are  feed- 
ing, we  get  breakfast  in  a  hurry  and  eat  it.     By  this  time  the 

1  Mr.  Lee  speaks  of  him  in  his  journal — he  went  over  when  he  did, 
and  returned. 


62  Marcus  Whitman 

words,  "Catch  up!  Catch  up!"  ring  through  the  camp  for 
moving.  We  are  ready  to  start  usually  at  six,  travel  till 
eleven,  encamp,  rest  and  feed,  start  again  about  two,  travel 
until  six  or  before,  if  we  come  to  a  good  tavern,  then  encamp 
for  the  night. 

Since  we  have  been  in  the  prairie  we  have  done  our  own 
cooking.  When  we  left  Liberty  we  expected  to  take  bread  to 
last  us  part  of  the  way,  but  could  not  get  enough  to  carry 
us  any  distance.  We  found  it  awkward  work  to  bake  out  of 
doors  at  first,  but  we  have  become  so  accustomed  to  it  now 
that  we  do  it  very  easily.  Tell  mother  I  am  a  very  good  house- 
keeper on  the  prairie.  I  wish  she  could  just  take  a  peep  at 
us  while  we  are  sitting  at  our  meals.  Our  table  is  the  ground, 
our  tablecloth  is  an  India  rubber  cloth,  used  when  it  rains 
as  a  cloak.  Our  dishes  are  made  of  tin,  basins  for  tea  cups, 
iron  spoons  and  plates  for  each  of  us,  and  several  pans  for 
milk  and  to  put  our  meat  in  when  we  wish  to  set  it  on  the 
table.  Each  one  carries  his  own  knife  in  his  scabbard,  and  it 
is  always  ready  for  use.  When  the  table  things  are  spread, 
after  making  our  own  forks  of  sticks,  and  helping  ourselves 
to  chairs,  we  gather  around  the  table.  Husband  always  pro- 
vides my  seat,  and  in  a  way  that  you  would  laugh  to  see.  It 
is  the  fashion  of  all  this  country  to  imitate  the  Turks.  Messrs. 
Dunbar  and  Allis1  supped  with  us,  and  they  do  the  same.  We 
take  a  blanket  and  lay  down  by  the  table,  and  those  whose 
joints  will  let  them  follow  the  fashion ;  others  take  out  some 
of  the  baggage  (I  suppose  you  know  that  there  are  no  stones 
in  this  country;  not  a  stone  have  I  seen  of  any  size  on  the 
prairie).  For  my  part,  I  fix  myself  as  gracefully  as  I  can, 
sometimes  on  a  blanket,  sometimes  on  a  box  just  as  it  is  con- 
venient. Let  me  assure  you  this,  we  relish  our  food  none  the 
less  for  sitting  on  the  ground  while  eating.  We  have  tea  and 
a  plenty  of  milk,  which  is  a  luxury  in  this  country.  Our  milk 
has  assisted  us  very  much  in  making  our  bread  since  we  have 
been  journeying.     While  the  Fur  Company  has  felt  the  want  of 

1  Missionaries  who  started  for  Oregon  in  1834  with  Rev.  S.  Parker, 
hut  who  settled  among  the  Pawnees,  when  he  found  he  could  not  get 
to  Oregon  that  year. 


Across  the  Continent  63 

food,  our  milk  has  been  of  great  service  to  us ;  but  it  was  con- 
siderable  work  to  supply  ten  persons  with  bread  three  times 
a  day.  We  are  done  using  it  now.  What  little  Hour  we  have 
we  shall  preserve  for  thickening  our  broth,  which  is  excellent. 
1  never  saw  anything  like  buffalo  meat  to  satisfy  hunger.  We 
do  not  want  anything  else  with  it.  Supper  and  breakfast  we 
eat  in  our  tent.  We  do  not  pitch  it  at  noon.  Have  worship 
immediately  after  supper  and  breakfast. 

Noon.  The  face  of  the  country  today  has  been  like  that  of 
yesterday.  We  are  now  about  thirty  miles  above  the  Forks, 
and  leaving  the  bluffs  for  the  river.  We  have  seen  wonders 
this  forenoon.  Herds  of  buffalo  hove  in  sight.  One,  a  bull, 
crossed  our  trail,  and  ran  upon  the  bluffs  in  rear  of  the  camp. 
We  took  the  trouble  to  chase  him  so  as  to  have  a  near  view. 
Sister  Spalding  and  myself  got  out  of  the  wagon,  and  ran 
upon  the  bluff  to  see  him.  This  baud  was  quite  willing  to  grat- 
ify our  curiosity,  seeing  it  was  the  first.  Several  have  been 
killed  this  forenoon.  The  Company  keeps  a  man  out  all  the 
time  to  hunt  for  the  camp. 

I  wish  you  were  all  here  with  us,  going  to  the  dear  Indians. 
I  have  become  very  much  attached  to  Richard.  He's  the  one 
you  saw  at  our  wedding.  I  love  to  teach  him,  to  take  care  of 
him,  and  hear  him  talk.  There  are  five  Nez  Perces  in  the 
Company,  and  when  they  are  together  they  chatter  finely. 
Samuel  Temoui,  the  oldest  one,  has  just  come  into  camp  with 
the  skin  and  some  of  the  meat  of  a  buffalo  which  he  has  killed. 
He  started  this  forenoon  of  his  own  accord.  It  is  what  they 
like  dearly,  to  hunt  buffalo.  So  long  as  we  have  him  with  us 
we  shall  be  supplied  with  meat. 

Now  (lie  man  from  the  mountains  has  come  who  will  take 
this  to  the  office.  We  have  just  met  him  and  we  have  stopped 
our  wagon  to  write  a  little.  Give  my  love  to  all.  I  have  not 
told  you  hall'  I  wan!  to.  We  are  all  in  health  this  morning 
and  making  rapid  progress  in  our  journey.  By  the  Fourth  of 
July  our  Captain  intends  to  be  at  the  place  where  Mr.  Parker 
and  husband  parted  last  fall.  We  are  a  month  earlier  pass- 
ing here  than  they  were  last  spring.  Tell  mother  that  if  I  had 
looked  the  world  over  I  could  not  have  1'onnd  a  husband  more 


64  Marcus  Whitman 

careful  and  better  qualified  to  transport  a  female  such  a  dis- 
tance.    Husband  says  "stop."     Farewell  to  all  I1 

Platte  River,  south  side,  six  days  above  the  Fort  Laramie 
Fork,  near  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  June  27,  1836. 
Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Whitman : .  We  were  in  perplexity 
when  we  left  Liberty,  but  it  has  been  overruled  for  good.  I 
wrote  Mother  Loomis  from  the  Otoe  Agency.  We  were  in  still 
greater  perplexity  there,  while  crossing  with  our  baggage.  Hus- 
band became  so  completely  exhausted  with  swimming  the  river 
on  Thursday,  May  9th,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  he  made 
the  shore  the  last  time.  Mr.  Spalding  was  sick ;  our  two  hired 
men  were  good  for  nothing;  we  could  not  obtain  much  assis- 
tance from  the  Otoes,  for  they  were  away  from  the  village. 
We  had  but  one  canoe,  made  of  skins,  and  that  partly  eaten 
by  the  dogs  the  night  before.  We  got  everything  over  by  Fri- 
day night.  We  did  not  get  ready  to  start  until  Saturday  af- 
ternoon. By  this  time  the  [American  Fur]  Company  had 
four  and  a  half  days  the  advance  of  us.  It  seemed  scarcely 
possible  for  us  to  overtake  them,  we  having  two  more  difficult 
streams  to  pass  before  they  would  pass  the  Pawnee  villages. 
Beyond  there  we  dared  not  venture  more  than  one  day.  We 
were  at  a  stand ;  but  with  the  advice  of  Brethren  Merrill  and 
Dunbar— missionaries  among  the  Pawnees — after  a  concert  of 
prayer  on  the  subject,  we  concluded  to  start  and  go  as  far  as 
it  would  be  prudent  for  us.  Brother  Dunbar  kindly  consented 
to  become  our  pilot,  until  we  could  get  another.  He  started 
with  us  and  came  as  far  as  the  Elkhorn  River,  then  the  man 
Major  Dougherty  sent  for,  for  us,  came  up,  and  Mr.  Dunbar 
returned.  We  had  passed  the  river  on  Monday  morning  and 
taken  down  the  rope,  when  our  pilot  and  his  Indian  came  up. 
It  was  with  difficulty  we  crossed  him  and  returned  Mr.  Dun- 
bar. While  on  the  opposite  shore,  just  ready  to  leave  us,  he 
called  to  us  to  receive  his  parting  advice,  with  a  word  of 
caution,  which  will  never  be  forgotten.  Our  visit  with  him 
and  Brother  Merrill's  family  was  indeed  refreshing  to  our 
thirsty   spirits — kindred   spirits   rejoicing  in   the  self-denials 

1  Dr.  Whitman  wrote  a  letter  from  this  place  also,  at  this  time,  but 
as  it  is  almost  entirely  a  repetition  of  what  has  already  been  given,  it 
is  not  inserted.     Oregon  Pioneer  Transactions,  1893,  p.  109. 


Across  the  Continent  65 

and  labors  of  missionary  life.  The  next  day,  in  the  morning, 
we  met  a  large  party  of  Pawnees  going  to  the  fort  to  receive 
their  annuities.  They  seemed  very  much  surprised  and  pleased 
to  see  white  females ;  many  of  them  had  never  seen  any  before. 
They  are  a  noble  Indian — large,  athletic  forms,  dignified  coun- 
tenances, bespeaking  an  immortal  existence  within.  When  we 
had  said  what  we  wished  to  them,  we  hurried  on,  and  arrived 
ac  the  Elkhorn  in  time  to  cross  all  our  effects.  Here,  I  must 
tell  you  how  much  good  Richard,  John  and  Samuel  did  us. 
They  do  the  most  of  driving  the  cattle  and  loose  horses.  Oc- 
casionally husband  and  myself  would  ride  with  them  as  com- 
pany and  encouragement.  They  came  up  to  the  river  before 
us,  and  seeing  a  skin  canoe  on  the  opposite  side,  they  stripped 
themselves,  wound  their  shirts  around  their  heads,  and  swam 
over  and  back  again  with  the  canoe  by  the  time  we  came  up. 
We  stretched  a  rope  across  the  river  and  pulled  the  goods  over 
in  the  canoe  without  much  difficulty. 

Monday  and  Tuesday  we  made  hard  drives — Tuesday  es- 
pecially. We  attempted  to  reach  the  Loup  Fork  that  night, 
and  a  part  of  us  succeeded.  Those  in  the  wagons  drove  there 
by  11  o'clock,  but  it  was  too  much  for  the  cattle.  There  was 
no  water  or  feed  short  of  this.  We  rode  with  Richard  and 
John  until  9  o'clock,  and  were  all  very  much  fatigued.  Rich- 
ard proposed  to  us  to  go  on  and  he  and  John  would  stay  on 
the  prairie  with  the  cattle,  and  drive  them  in  in  the  morning. 
We  did  not  like  to  leave  them,  and  so  we  concluded  to  stay. 
Husband  had  a  cup  tied  to  his  saddle,  in  which  he  milked  what 
we  wanted  to  drink;  this  was  our  supper.  Our  saddle  blank- 
ets, with  our  India  rubber  cloaks,  were  our  beds.  Having  of- 
fered up  our  thanksgiving  for  the  blessings  of  the  day,  and 
sought  protection  for  the  night,  we  committed  ourselves  to 
rest.  We  awoke  in  the  morning  much  refreshed  and  rode  into 
camp  before  breakfast — five  miles.  The  Fur  Company  was 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  which  we  forded,  and,  without 
unloading  our  wagon  much,  were  ready  to  move  again  about 
noon.  We  wished  to  be  with  the  Company  when  they  passed 
the  Pawnee  village.  This  obliged  us  to  make  a  day's  drive  of 
1he  camp  in  half  a  day,  which  was  too  bad  for  our  horses.  We 
did  not  reach  them  until  1  o'clock  at  night.     The  next  day  we 


66  Marcus  Whitman 

passed  all  their  villages.  We,  especially,  were  visited  by  them, 
both  at  noon  and  at  night;  we  ladies  were  such  a  curiosity 
to  them.  They  would  come  and  stand  around  our  tent,  peep 
in,  and  grin  in  their  astonishment  to  see  such  looking  objects. 

Since  we  came  up  with  the  camp  I  rode  in  the  wagons 
most  of  the  way  to  the  Black  Hills.  It  is  astonishing  how 
well  we  get  along  with  our  wagons  where  there  are  no  roads. 
1  think  I  may  say  it  is  easier  traveling  here  than  on  any  turn- 
pike in  the  States.  On  the  way  to  the  buffalo  country  we  had 
to  bake  bread  for  ten  persons.  It  was  difficult  at  first,  as  we 
did  not  understand  working  out  doors;  but  we  became  ac- 
customed to  it,  so  that  it  became  quite  easy.  June  found  us 
ready  to  receive  our  first  taste  of  buffalo.  Since  that  time  I 
have  had  but  little  to  do  with  cooking.  Not  one  in  our  num- 
ber relishes  buffalo  meat  as  well  as  my  husband  and  I.  He  has 
a  different  way  for  cooking  every  different  piece  of  meat.  I 
believe  Mother  Loomis  would  give  up  to  him  if  she  were  here. 
We  have  had  no  bread  since.  We  have  meat  and  tea  in  the 
morn,  and  tea  and  meat  at  noon.  All  our  variety  consists 
in  the  different  ways  of  cooking.  I  relish  it  well,  and  it  agrees 
with  me.  My  health  is  excellent.  So  long  as  I  have  buffalo 
meat,  I  do  not  wish  anything  else.  Sister  Spalding  is  affected 
by  it  considerably— has  been  quite  sick. 

We  feel  that  the  Lord  has  blessed  us  beyond  our  most  san- 
guine expectations.  We  wish  our  friends  at  home  to  unite 
with  us  in  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  His  great  mercies  to 
us.  We  are  a  month  earlier  this  year  than  husband  was  last, 
and  the  Company  wish  to  be  at  Rendezvous  by  the  4th  of  July. 
We  have  just  crossed  the  river  and  shall  leave  here  tomorrow 
morning.  Now,  Sister  Julia,  between  you  and  me,  I  just  want 
to  tell  you  how  much  trouble  I  have  had  with  Marcus,  two  or 
three  weeks  past.  He  was  under  the  impression  that  we  had 
too  much  baggage,  and  could  not  think  of  anything  so  easy 
to  be  dispensed  with  as  his  own  wearing  apparel ;  those  shirts 
the  ladies  made  him  just  before  he  left  home,  his  black  suit, 
and  overcoat — these  were  the  condemned  articles.  Sell  them 
he  must,  as  soon  as  he  gets  to  the  fort.  But  first  I  would 
not  believe  him  in  earnest.  All  the  reasons  I  could  bring 
were  of  no  avail — he  still  said  he  must  get  rid  of  them.      I 


Across  the  Continent  67 

iold  him  to  sell  all  of  mine,  too;  I  could  do  without  them 
better  than  he  could.  Indeed,  I  did  not  wish  to  dress  unless 
he  could.  I  finally  said  that  I  would  write  and  get  Sister 
Julia  to  plead  for  me,  for  I  knew  you  would  not  like  to  have 
him  sell  them,  better  than  I  should.  This  was  enough;  he 
knew  it  would  not  do  to  act  contrary  to  her  wishes,  and  said 
no  more  about  it. 

July  16th.  When  I  wrote  this  letter  I  expected  an  oppor- 
tunity to  send  it  immediately,  but  we  did  not  meet  the  party 
expected,  and  have  had  no  opportunity  since.  We  are  now  at 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  at  the  encampment  of  Messrs.  McLeod 
and  McKay,  expecting  to  leave  on  Monday  morning  for  Walla 
Walla.  It  seems  a  special  favor  that  that  company  has  come 
to  Rendezvous  this  season ;  for  otherwise  we  would  have  had 
to  have  gone  with  the  Indians  a  difficult  route,  and  so  slow 
that  we  should  have  been  late  at  Walla  Walla,  and  not  had 
the  time  we  wanted  to  make  preparations  for  winter.  Hus- 
band has  written  the  particulars  of  our  arrival,  meeting  the 
Jndians,  etc.,  to  Brother  Henry.  One  particular  I  will  men- 
tion, which  he  did  not.  As  soon  as  I  alighted  from  my  horse 
]  was  met  by  a  company  of  matron  native  women,  one  after 
another  shaking  hands  and  saluting  me  with  a  most  hearty 
kiss.  This  was  unexpected  and  affected  me  very  much.  They 
gave  Sister  Spalding  the  same  salutation.  After  we  had  been 
seated  a  while  in  the  midst  of  the  gazing  throng,  one  of  the 
chiefs,  whom  we  had  seen  before,  came  with  his  wife  and  very 
politely  introduced  her  to  us.  They  say  they  all  like  us  very 
much,  and  thank  God  that  they  have  seen  us,  and  that  we 
have  come  to  live  with  them. 

It  was  truly  pleasing  to  see  the  meeting  of  Richard  and 
John  with  their  friends.  Richard  was  affected  to  tears.  His 
father  is  not  here,  but  several  of  his  tribe  and  brethren  are. 
When  they  met,  each  took  off  his  hat  and  shook  hands,  as  re- 
spectfully as  in  civilized  life.  Richard  does  not  give  up  the 
idea  of  again  seeing  Rushville. 

July  18th.  Under  the  protection  of  Mr.  McLeod  and  his 
company  we  left  the  Rendezvous  and  came  ten  miles  in  a 
southwesterly  direction.  The  Flatheads  and  some  of  the  Snake 
Indians  accompanied  us  a  short  distance.     We  make  but  one 


68  Marcus  Whitman 

camp  a  day.  On  the  22nd  we  had  a  tedious  ride,  as  we  trav- 
eled till  half-past  4  p.  m.  I  thought  of  mother's  bread  as  a 
child  would,  but  did  not  find  it  on  the  table.  I  should  relish 
it  extremely  well ;  have  been  living  on  buffalo  meat  until  I 
am  cloyed  with  it.  Have  been  in  a  peaceful  state  of  mind 
all  day.  Had  a  freedom  in  prayer  for  my  beloved  parents; 
blessed  privilege  that  such  a  sinner  as  I  may  have  access  to 
a  mercy  seat,  through  such  a  Saviour  as  Jesus  Christ.  It  is 
good  to  feel  that  He  is  all  I  want,  and  all  my  righteousness; 
and  if  I  had  ten  thousand  lives,  I  would  give  them  all  for 
Him.  I  long  to  be  more  like  Him — to  possess  more  of  His  meek 
spirit. 

25th.  Came  fifteen  miles  today;  encamped  on  Smith's 
Creek,  a  small  branch  of  Bear  Creek.  The  ride  has  been  very 
mountainous — paths  winding  on  the  sides  of  steep  mountains. 
In  some  places  the  path  is  so  narrow  as  scarcely  to  afford 
room  for  the  animal  to  place  his  foot.  One  after  another  we 
pass  along  with  cautious  step.  Passed  a  creek  on  which  was 
a  fine  bunch  of  gooseberries  nearly  ripe. 

Husband  has  had  a  tedious  time  with  the  wagon  today. 
It  got  stuck  in  the  creek  this  morning  when  crossing,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  wade  considerably  in  getting  it  out.  After  that, 
in  going  between  the  mountains,  on  the  side  of  one,  so  steep 
that  it  was  difficult  for  horses  to  pass,  the  wagon  was  upset 
twice ;  did  not  wonder  at  this  at  all ;  it  was  a  greater  wonder 
that  it  was  not  turning  somersaults  continually.  It  is  not 
very  grateful  to  my  feelings  to  see  him  wearing  out  with  such 
excessive  fatigue,  as  I  am  obliged  to.  He  is  not  as  fleshy  as 
he  was  last  winter.  All  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  way  he 
has  walked,  in  laborious  attempts  to  take  the  wagon.  Ma 
knows  what  my  feelings  are. 

26th.  Did  not  move  camp  today.  Mr.  McKay  has  been 
preparing  to  send  out  trappers  from  this  place.  Husband 
has  been  sick  today,  and  so  lame  with  the  rheumatism  as  to  be 
scarcely  able  to  move.  It  is  a  great  privilege  that  we  can  lie 
still  today,  on  his  account,  for  he  needs  rest. 

27th.  Had  quite  a  level  route  today — came  down  Bear 
River.  Mr.  McKay  sent  off  about  thirty  of  his  men  as  trap- 
pers today.      Several  lodges  of  Indians  also  left  us  to  go  in 


Across  the  Continent  69 

another  direction,  and  we  expect  more  to  leave  us  tomorrow. 
They  wish  to  go  a  different  route  from  Mr.  McLeod,  and  desire 
us  to  go  with  them ;  but  it  would  be  more  difficult  and  lengthy 
than  Mr.  McLeod's.  We  are  still  in  a  dangerous  country ;  but 
our  company  is  large  enough  for  safety.  Our  cattle  endure 
the  journey  remarkably  well.  They  supply  us  with  sufficient 
milk  for  our  tea  and  coffee,  which  is  indeed  a  luxury.  We  are 
obliged  to  shoe  some  of  them  because  of  sore  feet.  Have  seen 
no  buffalo  since  we  left  Rendezvous.  Have  had  no  game  of 
any  kind  except  a  few  messes  of  antelope,  which  an  Indian 
gave  us.  We  have  plenty  of  dried  buffalo  meat,  which  we 
have  purchased  from  the  Indians — and  dry  it  is,  for  me.  It 
appears  so  filthy !  I  can  scarcely  eat  it ;  but  it  keeps  us  alive 
and  we  ought  to  be  thankful  for  it.  We  have  had  a  few  meals 
of  fresh  fish,  also,  which  we  relish  well,  and  have  the  prospect 
of  obtaining  plenty  in  one  or  two  weeks  more.  Have  found 
no  berries;  neither  have  I  found  any  of  Ma's  bread  (Girls, 
do  not  waste  the  bread ;  if  you  knew  how  well  I  should  relish 
even  the  dryest  morsel,  you  would  save  every  piece  carefully). 
Do  not  think  I  regret  coming.  No,  far  from  it;  I  would  not 
go  back  for  a  world.  I  am  contented  and  happy,  notwith- 
standing I  sometimes  get  very  hungry  and  weary.  Have  six 
weeks'  steady  journeying  before  us.  Feel  sometimes  as  if  it 
were  a  long  time  to  be  traveling.  Long  for  rest,  but  must  not 
murmur. 

Feel  to  pity  the  poor  Indian  women,  who  are  continually 
traveling  in  this  manner  during  their  lives,  and  know  no  other 
comfort.  They  do  all  the  work  and  are  the  complete  slaves 
of  their  husbands.  I  am  making  some  little  progress  in  their 
language;  long  to  be  able  to  converse  with  them  about  the 
Baviour. 

28th.  Very  mountainous  all  the  way  today ;  came  over  an- 
other ridge ;  rode  from  8  a.  m.  till  2  p.  m.  We  thought  yester- 
day the  Indians  were  all  going  to  leave  us,  except  two  or  three ; 
but  not  one  has.  They  fear  to  on  account  of  the  Blackfeet 
tribe,  who  would  destroy  them  all,  if  they  could.  One  of  the 
axle-trees  of  the  wagon  broke  today;  was  a  little  re- 
joiced; for  we  were  in  hopes  they  would  leave  it,  and  have 
no  more  trouble  with  it.     Our  rejoicing  was  in  vain,  for  they 


70  Marcus  Whitman 

are  making  a  cart  of  the  back  wheels  this  afternoon,  and  lash- 
ing the  fore  wheels  to  it — intending  to  take  it  through  in 
some  shape  or  other.  They  are  so  resolute  and  untiring  in 
their  efforts  that  they  will  probably  succeed.  Had  some  fresh 
fish  for  breakfast  and  some  antelope  for  supper  sent  us  by  Mr. 
McLeod  and  other  friends  in  camp.  Thus  the  Lord  provides 
and  smooths  all  our  ways  for  us,  giving  us  strength. 

July  29th.  Mr.  Gray  was  quite  sick  this  morning,  and  in- 
clined to  fall  behind.  Husband  and  I  rode  with  him  about 
two  hours  and  a  half,  soon  after  which  he  gave  out  entirely.  I 
was  sent  on,  and  soon  after  husband  left  him,  to  come  and  get 
the  cart;  but  I  overtook  an  Indian,  who  went  back  and  soon 
met  husband,  and  both  returned  to  Mr.  Gray.  The  Indian 
helped  him  on  his  horse,  got  on  behind  him,  supported  him  in 
bis  arms,  and  in  this  manner  slowly  came  into  camp.  This 
was  welcome  relief,  and  all  rejoiced  to  see  them  come  in;  for 
some  of  us  had  been  riding  seven  hours,  others  eight,  without 
any  nourishment. 

[The  next  sheet  of  the  journal  is  missing,  which  contains 
the  account  of  their  arrival  at  Fort  Hall,  where,  she  says]  : 
We  were  hospitably  entertain  by  Captain  Thing,  who  keeps 
the  fort.  It  was  built  by  Captain  Wyeth,  a  gentleman  from 
Boston,  whom  we  saw  at  the  Rendezvous  on  his  way  East. 
Our  dinner  consisted  of  dry  buffalo  meat,  turnips  and  fried 
bread,  which  was  a  luxury.  Mountain  bread  is  simply  coarse 
flour  and  water  mixed  and  roasted  or  fried  in  buffalo  grease. 
To  one  who  has  had  nothing  but  meat  for  a  long  time  this 
relishes  well.  For  tea  we  had  the  same,  with  the  addition 
of  some  stewed  service  berries. 

The  buildings  of  the  fort  are  made  of  hewed  logs,  with 
roofs  covered  with  mud  brick,  chimneys  and  fireplaces  also 
being  built  of  the  same;  no  windows  except  square  holes  in 
the  roof,  and  in  the  bastion  a  few  port  holes  large  enough  for 
guns  only.  The  buildings  are  all  enclosed  in  a  strong  log  wall. 
This  affords  them  a  place  of  safety  when  attacked  by  hostile 
Indians,  as  tbey  frequently  are,  the  fort  being  in  the  Black- 
foot  country.  Since  dinner  we  visited  the  garden  and  corn 
fields.  The  turnips  in  the  garden  appeared  thrifty — the  tops 
very  large  and  tall,  but  the  roots  small.      The  peas  looked 


POKT   HAM..   Exterior 


i  01:1     ii  \ I.I..    Interior 


Across  the  Continent  71 

small,  but  most  of  them  had  been  gathered  by  the  mice.  Saw 
a  few  onions  that  were  going  to  seed,  which  looked  quite  nat- 
ural. This  was  all  the  garden  contained.  He  told  us  his  own 
did  extremely  well  until  the  8th  of  June,  when  the  frost  of 
one  night  completely  prostrated  it.  It  has  since  come  up  again 
but  does  not  look  as  well  as  it  did  before.  This  is  their  first 
attempt  at  cultivating. 

The  buildings  at  Fort  William,  on  Laramie  Fork  of  the 
Platte,  are  made  the  same,  but  are  larger  and  more  finished 
than  here.  Here  we  have  stools  to  sit  on — there  we  had  verv 
comfortable  chairs  bottomed  with  buffalo  skin.  Thus  you 
see  we  have  a  house  of  entertainment  almost  or  quite  as  often 
as  Christian  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  did.  We  expect  one 
more  before  we  get  to  Walla  Walla;  that  is  Snake  Fort 
[Boise],  belonging  to  Mr.  McKay,  who  is  journeying  with  us. 

From  this  on  our  company  will  be  small.  The  Indians 
all  leave  us  today,  except  one  or  two,  who  go  with  us  to  assist 
in  driving  the  cattle — Kentuck,  who  went  with  Mr.  Parker  last 
year,  and  the  chief,  Rottenbelly.  The  whole  tribe  are  ex- 
ceedingly anxious  to  have  us  go  with  them.  They  use  every 
argument  they  can  invent  to  prevail  on  us  to  do  so — and  not 
only  argument,  but  strategy.  We  all  think  it  not  best;  we 
are  very  much  fatigued,  and  wish  to  get  through  as  soon  as 
possible.  To  go  with  them  would  take  us  two  months  or  more, 
when  now  we  expect  to  go  to  Walla  Walla  in  twenty-five  days. 
When  we  get  there  rest  will  be  sweet  to  us;  so  it  will  be  to 
the  Christian  when  he  gets  to  Heaven.  Will  father  and 
mother  get  there  before  I  do?  If  so,  then  they  will  be  ready 
to  greet  me  on  the  threshold.  Here  we  have  raised  our  Eben- 
ezer,  saying,  "Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  us."  Now  we 
leave  it  and  pass  on.  Our  animals  are  nearly  ready.  It  is 
now  half-past  two,  and  we  expect  to  go  but  a  short  distance 
and  encamp. 

August  5th.  Horn.  Came  all  of  ten  miles  last  evening 
and  did  not  arrive  here  until  after  dark.  Mr.  McLeod  and  his 
company  started  earlier  than  we  did,  intending  to  come  but 
a  little  way.  We  could  not  get  ready  to  come  with  him,  and 
the  man  who  piloted  us  led  us  wrong — much  out  of  the  way. 
Those  on  whom  we  depended  to  drive  cattle  disappointed  us. 


72  Marcus  Whitman 

Husband  and  myself  fell  in  behind  them  to  assist  John  Aits, 
who  was  alone  with  them.  This  made  us  later  into  camp  than 
the  rest  of  our  company.  We  came  through  several  swamps, 
and  all  the  last  part  of  the  way  we  were  so  swarmed  with 
mosquitoes  as  to  be  scarcely  able  to  see — especially  while 
crossing  the  Port  Neuf,  which  we  did  just  before  coming  into 
camp.  It  is  the  widest  river  I  have  forded  on  horseback.  It 
seemed  the  cows  would  run  mad  for  the  mosquitoes ;  we  could 
scarcely  get  them  along. 

Mr.  McLeod  met  us  and  invited  us  to  tea,  which  was  a 
great  favor.  Thus  blessings  gather  thick  around  us.  We 
have  been  in  the  mountains  so  long  we  find  the  scenery  of  this 
valley  very  grateful  to  the  eye — a  large  stream  on  my  right 
and  one  on  my  left,  skirted  with  timber.  At  Fort  Hall  was 
our  first  sight  of  Snake  River.  We  shall  follow  the  south  side 
of  it  for  many  days.  We  have  passed  many  places  where  the 
soil  is  good,  and  would  be  fertile  if  there  were  frequent  rains ; 
but  usually  the  country  is  barren,  and  would  be  a  sandy  desert 
were  it  not  for  the  sage  brush. 

Eve.  We  passed  the  American  Falls  on  Snake  River  just 
after  dinner.  The  roar  of  the  water  is  heard  at  a  considerable 
distance.  We  stopped  during  the  greatest  heat  for  rest  and 
dinner.  Now  that  the  Indians  are  no  longer  with  us,  we  shall 
expect  to  make  two  camps.  I  expect  this  to  be  a  great  mercy 
to  us  weak  females,  for  it  was  more  than  we  could  well  endure 
to  travel  during  the  heat  of  the  day  without  refreshment. 

August  6th.  Route  very  bad  and  difficult  today.  We 
crossed  a  small  stream  full  of  falls.  The  only  pass  where 
we  could  cross  was  just  on  the  edge  of  rocks  above  one  of  the 
falls.  While  the  pack  animals  were  crossing,  both  ours  and 
the  Company's,  there  was  such  a  rush  as  to  crowd  two  of  our 
horses  over  the  falls,  both  packed  with  dried  meat.  It  was 
with  great  difficulty  they  were  got  out,  one  of  them  having 
been  in  nearly  an  hour,  much  to  his  injury.  We  have  a  little 
rice  to  eat  with  our  dry  meat,  given  us  by  Mr.  McLeod,  which 
makes  it  relish  quite  well. 

August  7th.  Sabbath.  Came  fifteen  miles  and  camped  on 
a  fine  place,  with  plenty  of  good  grass  for  our  weary  animals. 


Across  the  Continent  73 

Thus  are  blessings  so  mingled,  that  it  seems  as  if  there  was 
nothing  else  but  mercy  and  blessing  all  the  way.  Was  there 
ever  journey  like  this  performed,  where  the  sustaining  hand  of 
God  has  been  so  manifest  every  morning.  Surely  the  children 
of  Israel  could  not  have  been  more  sensible  of  the  pillar  of 
fire  by  night  than  we  have  been  of  that  hand  that  has  led  us 
thus  safely  on.  God  has  heard  prayer  in  our  behalf,  and  even 
now,  while  I  am  writing  on  this  holy  day,  is  the  sweet  incense 
of  prayer  ascending  before  the  throne  of  Heavenly  grace.  Nor 
are  we  forgotten  by  our  beloved  churches,  at  home  in  the  pray- 
ers of  the  Sanctuary,  we  are  too  sensible  of  its  blessed  effects 
to  believe  otherwise;  and  Oh!  how  comforting  is  this  thought 
to  the  heart  of  the  missionary.  We  love  to  think  and  talk  of 
home,  with  such  feelings  as  these.  It  warms  our  hearts  and 
strengthens  and  encourages  us  in  the  work  of  our  beloved 
Master,  and  makes  our  journeyings  easy. 

August  8th.  Snake  River.  We  have  an  excellent  camp 
ground  tonight ;  plenty  of  feed  for  the  cattle  and  horses.  We 
think  it  remarkable  that  our  cattle  should  endure  the  journey 
as  well  as  they  do.  We  have  two  sucking  calves  that  appear 
to  be  in  very  good  spirits;  they  suffer  some  from  sore  feet, 
otherwise  they  have  come  on  well  and  will  go  through.  Have 
come  eighteen  miles  today,  and  have  taken  it  so  deliberately 
that  it  has  been  easy  for  us.  The  hunters  came  in  last  night 
well  loaded ;  they  had  been  in  the  mountains  two  days  after 
game,  and  killed  three  elk  and  two  antelope.  This  is  the  first 
elk  meat  we  have  had,  and  it  is  the  last  opportunity  we  expect 
to  have  of  taking  any  more  game.  We  are  told  that  many 
have  traveled  the  whole  distance  from  Kendezvous  to  Walla 
Walla  without  any  fresh  meat.  We  think  ours  will  last  us 
until  we  reach  the  salmon  fishing  at  Snake  Falls.  Thus  we  are 
well  provided  for,  contrary  to  our  expectations.  Mr.  McLeod 
has  excellent  hunters;  this  is  the  reason  why  we  live  so  well. 
There  is  but  little  game,  and  that  is  found  at  great  distance 
from  the  route. 

J Jth.  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  have  been  tedious  days, 
both  for  man  and  beast — lengthy  marches  without  water; 
rocky  and  sandy,  nad  a  j)resent  tonight  of  a  fresh  salmon  ; 
also  a  plate  of  fried  cakes  from  Mr.  McLeod     (Girls,  if  yon 


74  Marcus  Whitman 

wish  to  know  how  they  taste,  you  can  have  the  pleasure  by  tak- 
ing a  little  flour  and  water,  make  some  dough  and  roll  it 
thin,  cut  it  into  square  blocks,  then  take  some  beef  fat  and  fry 
them.  You  need  not  put  either  salt  or  pearlash  in  your  dough. 
Believe  me,  I  relish  them  as  well  as  I  ever  did  any  made  at 
home). 

12th.  Friday.  Raised  camp  this  morning  at  sunrise,  and 
came  two  hours'  ride  to  the  salmon  fishery.  Found  a  few 
lodges  of  Diggers  of  the  Snake  tribe,  so-called  because  they  live 
on  roots  during  winter,  who  had  just  commenced  fishing.  Ob- 
tained some  and  boiled  it  for  our  breakfast.  Find  it  good 
eating;  had  we  been  a  few  days  earlier  we  should  not  have 
been  able  to  obtain  any  fish,  for  they  had  but  just  come  up. 
They  never  go  higher  than  these  falls,  and  come  here  every 
season. 

Friday  Eve.  Dear  Harriet,  the  little  trunk  you  gave  me 
has  come  with  me  so  far,  and  now  I  must  leave  it  here  alone. 
Poor  little  trunk,  I  am  sorry  to  leave  thee,  thou  must  abide 
here  alone,  and  no  more  by  thy  presence  remind  me  of  my  dear 
Harriet.  Twenty  miles  below  the  falls  on  Snake  River,  this 
sball  be  thy  place  of  rest.  Farewell,  little  trunk,  I  thank  thee 
for  thy  faithful  services,  and  that  I  have  been  cheered  by  thy 
presence  so  long.  Thus  we  scatter  as  we  go  along.  The  hills 
are  so  steep  and  rocky  that  husband  thought  it  best  to  lighten 
the  wagon  as  much  as  possible,  and  take  nothing  but  the 
wheels,  leaving  the  box  with  my  trunk.  I  regret  leaving  any- 
thing that  came  from  home,  especially  that  trunk,  but  it  is 
best.  It  would  have  been  better  for  me  not  to  have  attempted 
to  bring  any  baggage  whatever,  only  what  was  necessary  to 
use  on  the  way,  it  costs  so  much  labor,  besides  the  expense  of 
animals.  If  I  were  to  make  the  journey  again,  I  would  make 
quite  different  preparations.  To  pack  and  unpack  so  many 
times,  and  cross  so  many  streams  where  the  packs  frequently 
get  wet,  requires  no  small  amount  of  labor,  besides  the  injury 
of  the  articles.  Our  books,  what  few  we  have,  have  been  wet 
several  times.  In  going  from  Elmira  to  Williamsport,  this 
trunk  fell  into  the  creek  and  wet  all  my  books,  and  Richard's, 
too,  several  times.  The  sleigh  box  came  off,  and  all  of  us 
came  near  a  wetting  likewise.     The  custom  of  the  country  is 


Across  the  Continent  75 

to  possess  nothing,  and  then  you  will  lose  nothing  while  travel- 
ing.    Farewell  for  the  present. 

13th.  Saturday.  Dear  Harriet,  Mr.  McKay  has  asked  the 
privilege  of  taking  the  little  trunk  along,  so  that  my  soliloquy 
about  it  last  night  was  for  naught.  However,  it  will  do  me 
no  good,  it  may  him.  We  have  come  fifteen  miles  and  have  the 
worst  route  in  all  the  journey  for  the  cart.  We  might  have 
had  a  better  one,  but  for  being  misled  by  some  of  the  Company, 
who  started  out  before  the  leaders.  It  was  two  o'clock  before 
we  came  into  camp. 

They  were  preparing  to  cross  Snake  River.  The  river  is 
divided  by  two  islands  into  three  branches,  and  it  is  fordable. 
The  packs  are  placed  upon  the  tops  of  the  highest  horses,  and 
in  this  way  we  crossed  without  wetting.  Two  of  the  tallest 
horses  were  selected  to  carry  Mrs.  Spalding  and  myself  over. 
Mr.  McLeod  gave  me  his,  and  rode  mine.  The  last  branch  we 
rode  as  much  as  half  a  mile  in  crossing  and  against  the  cur- 
rent, too,  which  made  it  hard  for  the  horses,  the  water  being 
up  to  their  sides.  Husband  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
crossing  the  cart.  Both  the  cart  and  mules  were  turned  up- 
side down  in  the  river,  and  entangled  in  the  harness.  The 
mules  would  have  been  drowned  but  for  a  desperate  struggle 
to  get  them  ashore.  Then  after  putting  two  of  the  strongest 
horses  before  the  cart,  and  two  men  swimming  behind  to  steady 
it,  they  succeeded  in  getting  it  across.  I  once  thought  that 
crossing  streams  would  be  the  most  dreaded  part  of  the  jour- 
ney. I  can  now  cross  the  most  difficult  stream  without  the 
least  fear.  There  is  one  manner  of  crossing  which  husband  has 
tried,  but  I  have  not,  neither  do  I  wish  to.  Take  an  elk  skin 
and  stretch  it  over  you,  spreading  yourself  out  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, then  let  the  Indian  women  carefully  put  you  on  the  water, 
and  with  a  cord  in  the  mouth  they  will  swim  and  draw  you 
over.  Edward,  how  do  you  think  you  would  like  to  travel  in 
this  way? 

15th.  Yesterday  Mr.  McLeod,  with  most  of  his  men  left 
us,  wishing  to  hasten  his  arrival  at  Snake  Fort,  leaving  us  a 
pilot  and  his  weakest  animals  to  come  in  with  us  at  our  leisure. 
This  is  a  relief  to  us,  as  it  is  difficult  to  bring  our  cattle  up  to 
the  speed  they  wish  to  travel.     We  passed  the  hot  springs  just 


76  Marcus  Whitman 

before  noon,  which  was  quite  a  curiosity.     Boiled  a  bit  of  dry 
salmon  in  one  of  them  in  five  minutes. 

16th.  This  eve  found  plenty  of  berries  called  hawthorn  on 
the  stream  where  we  have  encamped.  They  are  large  as  a 
cherry  and  taste  much  like  a  mealy  sweet  apple.  Our  route  on 
this  side  of  Snake  Eiver  is  less  hilly  and  difficult  than  on  the 
south  side,  and  said  to  be  two  days  shorter. 

19th.  Arrived  at  Snake  Fort  [Boise]  about  noon.  It  is 
situated  on  Bigwood  River,  so  called  because  the  timber  is 
larger  than  anv  to  be  seen  this  side  of  the  mountains.  It  con- 
sists  chiefly  of  cottonwood  and  is  small  compared  with  timber 
in  the  States.  Snake  Fort  is  owned  and  was  built  by  Mr. 
Thomas  McKay,  one  of  our  Company,  whom  we  expect  to  leave 
here.  He,  with  Mr.  McLeod,  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome ;  dined 
with  them.  Mr.  McLeod  was  ready  to  leave  on  the  morrow, 
but  said  he  would  stay  a  day  longer  to  give  us  the  opportunity 
of  doing  some  necessary  work,  for  which  we  were  thankful. 

20th.  Saturday.  Last  night  I  put  my  clothes  in  water, 
and  this  morning  finished  washing  before  breakfast ;  this  is 
the  third  time  I  have  washed  since  I  left  home,  once  at  Fort 
William  and  once  at  Rendezvous.  Mr.  McLeod  called  this 
evening  to  see  if  we  were  ready  to  leave.  He  observed  we  had 
been  so  engaged  in  labor  as  to  have  no  time  for  rest,  and  pro- 
posed for  ourselves  to  remain  over  the  Sabbath.  This  I  can 
assure  you  was  a  favor  for  which  we  can  never  be  too  thankful, 
for  our  souls  need  the  rest  of  the  Sabbath  as  well  as  our 
bodies. 

21st.  Sabbath.  Rich  with  heavenly  blessings  has  this  day 
of  rest  been  to  my  soul.  Mr.  Spalding  was  invited  to  preach 
iii  the  Fort  at  11  o'clock.  The  theme  was  the  "Character  of 
the  Blessed  Saviour."     All  listened  with  good  attention. 

22nd.  Left  the  Fort  vesterdav,  came  a  short  distance  to 
the  crossing  of  Snake  River,  crossed  and  encamped  for  the 
night.  The  river  has  three  branches,  divided  by  islands,  as  it 
was  when  we  crossed  before.  The  first  and  second  places  were 
very  deep,  but  we  had  no  difficulty  in  crossing  on  horseback. 
The  third  was  deeper,  still ;  we  dare  not  venture  on  horseback. 
This  being  a  fishing  post  of  the  Indians,  we  easily  found  a 


Across  the  Continent  77 

canoe  made  of  rushes  and  willows,  on  which  we  placed  our- 
selves and  our  saddles  (Sister  Spalding  and  myself),  when 
two  Indians  on  horseback  each  with  a  rope  attached  to  the 
canoe  towed  us  over.  O !  if  father  and  mother  and  the  girls 
could  have  seen  us  in  our  snug  little  canoe,  floating  on  the 
water !  We  were  favorites  of  the  Company.  No  one  else  was 
privileged  with  a  ride  on  it.  I  wish  I  could  give  you  a  correct 
idea  of  this  little  bark.  It  is  simply  bunches  of  rushes  tied  to- 
gether and  attached  to  a  frame  made  of  a  few  sticks  of  small 
willows.  It  was  just  large  enough  to  hold  us  and  our  saddles. 
Our  baggage  was  transported  on  the  top  of  our  tallest  horses, 
without  wetting. 

As  for  the  wagon,  it  is  left  at  the  Fort,  and  I  have  nothing 
to  say  about  crossing  it  at  this  time.  Five  of  our  cattle  were 
left  there  also,  to  be  exchanged  for  others  at  Walla  Walla. 
Perhaps  you  will  wonder  why  we  have  left  the  wagon,  having 
taken  it  so  nearly  through.  Our  animals  were  failing  and  the 
route  in  crossing  the  Blue  Mountains  is  said  to  be  impassable 
for  it.  We  have  the  prospect  of  obtaining  one  in  exchange 
at  Vancouver.  If  we  do  not,  we  shall  send  for  it,  since  we 
have  been  to  so  much  labor  in  getting  it  thus  far.  It  is  a 
useful  article  in  the  country. 

Now  for  Edward's  amusement,  and  that  he  may  know  how 
to  do  when  he  comes  over  the  Rocky  Mountains,  I  will  tell 
how  we  got  the  cattle  over  the  rivers.  Our  two  Indians  boys, 
Richard  and  John,  have  had  the  chief  management  of  driving 
them  all  the  way,  and  are  commendable  for  the  patience  they 
have  manifested.  They  have  had  some  one  or  two  to  help 
usually,  but  none  are  so  steady  drivers  as  themselves.  When 
a  stream  is  to  be  crossed,  where  it  is  necessary  for  the  animals 
to  swim,  Richard  comes  to  my  husband  and  asks  if  he  may  go 
over  with  his  horse  and  clothes  and  then  come  back  after  the 
cows.  Having  obtained  consent,  he  rides  over,  accompanied 
by  his  fellow  drivers,  all  stripped  to  the  shirt.  Then  they 
return  with  their  horses  if  the  stream  is  wide  and  difficult.  If 
not,  they  leave  their  horses,  tie  their  shirts  over  their  heads, 
swim  hack,  collect  the  cows  and  drive  them  through,  all  swim- 
ming after  them.  If  Ihe  stream  is  very  wide,  and  they  return 
with  their  horses,  they  drive  them  swimming  on  their  horses 


78  Marcus  Whitman 

behind  them.  This  saves  them  from  the  too  great  fatigue  of 
swimming  the  river  twice.  They  love  to  swim,  as  they  love  to 
eat,  and  by  doing  so,  have  saved  me  many  an  anxious  feeling, 
for  the  relief  it  has  given  my  husband  many  times.  In  this 
case  all  the  horses  and  mules  were  driven  across  likewise. 
Usually,  the  best  Indian  swimmer  was  selected,  and  mounted 
the  horse  that  was  good  for  leading  to  go  before  the  animals 
as  a  guide,  while  many  others  swam  after  them  to  drive  them 
over.  When  once  under  way,  such  a  snorting  and  halloaing 
you  never  heard.  At  the  same  time  you  can  see  nothing  save 
so  many  heads  floating  upon  the  water.  Soon  they  gain  the 
opposite  shore,  triumphantly  ascend  its  banks,  shake  them- 
selves, and  retire  to  their  accustomed  employment. 

26th.  Friday.  On  account  of  our  worn  out  cattle  and 
horses,  it  was  thought  best  to  separate  from  Mr.  McLeod's 
party,  at  least  some  of  us,  and  travel  more  deliberately.  Two 
mules  and  a  horse  have  almost  entirely  given  out.  It  is  neces- 
sary for  some  of  our  party  to  go  to  Vancouver  immediately 
for  supplies  and  to  see  Mr.  Parker  before  he  leaves.  It  was 
thought  best  for  my  husband  and  Mr.  Gray  to  go,  as  Mr.  Mc- 
Leod  intended  to  make  but  a  day's  stop  at  Walla  Walla.  We 
came  on  with  him,  leaving  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  the  hired 
man,  with  most  of  our  baggage,  and  the  Nez  Perces  chief,  Rot- 
tenbelly,  to  pilot  them  in.  We  parted  from  them  about  three 
o'clock,  and  came  as  far  as  the  Lone  Tree.  The  place  called 
''The  Lone  Tree"  is  a  beautiful  valley,  in  the  region  of  Powder 
River,  in  the  center  of  which  is  a  solitary  tree,  quite  large,  by 
the  side  of  which  travelers  usually  stop  and  refresh  them- 
selves. We  left  our  tent  for  Mrs.  Spalding,  as  we  expect  to 
be  out  only  a  few  nights,  while  she  may  be  out  many.  Mr. 
McLeod  kindly  offered  his  for  my  use,  and  when  I  arrived  in 
camp,  found  it  pitched  and  in  readiness  for  me.  This  was  a 
great  favor,  as  the  wind  blew  quite  hard,  and  the  prospect  was 
for  a  cool  night. 

August  27th.  Came  in  sight  of  the  hill  that  leads  to  Grand 
Ronde.  This  morning  Mr.  McLeod  remained  behind  in  pur- 
suit of  game,  and  did  not  come  into  camp  until  we  had  made 
a  long  nooning.  Although  we  had  begun  to  feel  a  little  con- 
cerned about  him,  yet  about  three  o'clock  he  came  into  camp 


Across  the  Continent  79 

loaded  with  wild  ducks,  having  taken  twenty-two.  Now, 
mother,  he  did  just  as  he  always  did  during  the  journey,  sent 
over  nine  of  them.  Here  also  Richard  caught  fresh  salmon, 
which  made  us  another  good  meal,  and  if  we  had  been  out  of 
provisions  we  might  have  made  a  dinner  upon  the  fresh  water 
clams,  for  the  river  was  full  of  them. 

Girls,  how  do  you  think  we  manage  to  rest  ourselves  every 
noon,  having  no  house  to  shelter  us  from  the  scorching  heat, 
or  sofa  on  which  to  recline?  Perhaps  you  think  we  always 
encamp  in  the  shade  of  some  thick  wood.  Such  a  sight  I  have 
not  seen,  lo,  these  many  weeks.  If  we  can  find  a  few  small 
willows,  or  a  single  lone  tree,  we  think  ourselves  amply  pro- 
vided for.  But  often  our  camping  places  are  in  some  open 
plain,  and  frequently  a  sand  plain ;  but  even  here  is  rest  and 
comfort.  My  husband,  who  is  one  of  the  best  the  world  ever 
knew,  is  always  ready  to  provide  a  comfortable  shade  with  one 
of  our  saddle  blankets  spread  upon  some  willows  or  sticks 
placed  in  the  ground.  Our  saddles,  fishamores  and  the  other 
blankets,  placed  on  the  ground,  constitute  our  sofa,  where  we 
recline  and  rest  until  dinner  is  ready.  How  do  you  think  you 
would  like  this?  Would  you  not  think  a  seat  by  mother  in 
some  cool  room  preferable?  Some  times  my  wicked  heart 
has  been  disposed  to  murmur,  thinking  I  have  no  rest  from 
the  heat  when  we  stopped,  but  have  always  been  reproved 
for  it  by  the  comfort  and  rest  received.  Under  the  circum- 
stances I  have  never  wished  to  go  back.  Such  a  thought 
never  finds  a  place  in  my  heart.  "The  Lord  is  better  to  us 
than  our  fears."     I  always  find  it  so. 

28th.  This  morning  lingered  with  husband  on  the  top  of 
the  hill  that  overlooks  the  Grand  Ronde,  at  the  foot  of  which 
is  a  beautiful  cluster  of  pitch  and  spruce  pine  trees,  but  no 
white  pine  like  that  I  have  been  accustomed  to  see  at  home. 
Grand  Ronde  is,  indeed,  a  beautiful  place.  It  is  a  circular 
plain,  surrounded  by  lofty  mountains,  and  has  a  beautiful 
stream  coursing  through  it,  skirted  with  quite  large  timber. 
The  scenery,  while  passing  through  it,  is  quite  delightful  in 
some  places,  and  the  soil  rich;  in  other  places  we  find  the 
white  sand  and  sedge,  as  usual,  so  common  to  this  country. 
We  nooned  upon  the  Grand  Ronde  River. 


80  Marcus  Whitman 

i 

The  camas  grow  in  abundance,  and  it  is  the  principal  re- 
sort of  the  Cayuses  and  many  other  tribes  to  obtain  it,  as  they 
are  very  fond  of  it.  It  resembles  an  onion  in  shape  and  color; 
when  cooked  is  very  sweet  and  tastes  like  a  fig.  Their  manner 
cf  cooking  them  is  very  curious ;  they  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground, 
throw  in  a  heap  of  stones,  heat  them  to  a  red  heat,  cover  them 
with  green  grass,  upon  which  they  put  the  camas,  and  cover 
the  whole  with  earth.  When  taken  out  it  is  black.  This  is 
the  chief  food  of  many  tribes  during  the  winter.  After  dinner 
we  left  the  plain  and  ascended  the  Blue  Mountains.  Here  a 
new  and  pleasing  scene  presented  itself — mountains  covered 
with  timber,  through  which  we  rode  all  the  afternoon ;  a  very 
agreeable  change.  The  scenery  reminded  me  of  the  hills  in 
my  native  county  of  Steuben. 

29th.  Had  a  continuation  of  the  same  scenery  as  yesterday 
afternoon.  Rode  over  many  logs  and  obstructions  that  we  had 
not  found  since  we  left  the  States.  Here  I  frequently  met  old 
acquaintances  in  the  trees  and  flowers,  and  was  not  a  little 
delighted;  indeed,  I  do  not  know  as  I  was  ever  so  much  af- 
fected with  any  scenery  in  my  life.  The  singing  of  birds,  the 
echo  of  voices  of  my  fellow  travelers,  as  they  were  scattered 
through  the  woods,  all  had  a  strong  resemblance  to  bygone 
days.     But  this  scenery  was  of  short  duration ;   only  one  day. 

Before  noon  we  began  to  descend  one  of  the  most  terrible 
mountains  for  steepness  and  length,  I  have  yet  seen.  It  was 
like  winding  stairs  in  its  descent,  and  in  some  places  almost 
perpendicular.  The  horses  appeared  to  dread  the  hill  as  much 
as  we  did.  They  would  turn  and  wind  around  in  a  zigzag 
manner  all  the  way  down.  The  men  usually  walked,  but  I 
could  not  get  permission  to,  neither  did  I  desire  it  much.  We 
had  no  sooner  gained  the  foot  of  this  mountain,  when  another 
more  steep  and  more  dreadful  was  before  us.  After  dinner  and 
rest  we  descended  it.  Mount  Pleasant  in  Prattsburg  would 
not  compare  with  these  Mount  Terribles.  Our  ride  this  after- 
noon exceeded  anything  we  have  had  yet,  and  what  rendered 
it  the  more  aggravating  was  the  fact  that  the  path  all  the  way 
was  very  stony,  resembling  a  newly  macadamized  road.  Our 
horses'  feet  were  very  tender,  all  unshod,  so  that  we  could  not 
make  the  progress  we  wished.     The  mountain  in  many  places 


Across  the  Continent  81 

was  covered  with  this  black  broken  basalt.  We  were  very  late 
in  making  camp  tonight.  After  ascending  the  mountain  we 
kept  upon  the  main  divide  until  sunset,  looking  in  vain  for 
water  and  a  camping  place.  While  upon  this  elevation,  we 
had  a  view  of  the  valley  of  the  Columbia  River.  It  was  beau- 
tiful. Just  as  we  gained  the  highest  elevation,  and  began  to 
descend,  the  sun  was  dipping  his  disk  behind  the  western  hori- 
zon. Beyond  the  valley  we  could  see  two  mountains,  Mount 
Hood  and  Mount  St.  Helens.  These  lofty  peaks  were  of  a 
conical  form,  separated  from  each  other  by  a  considerable 
distance.  Behind  the  former,  the  sun  was  hiding  part  of  his 
rays,  which  gave  us  a  more  distinct  view  of  this  gigantic  cone. 
The  beauty  of  this  extensive  valley  contrasted  well  with  the 
rolling  mountains  behind  us,  and  at  this  hour  of  twilight  was 
enchanting,  and  quite  diverted  my  mind  from  the  fatigue  un- 
der which  I  was  laboring.  We  had  yet  to  descend  a  hill  as 
long  but  not  as  steep  or  as  stony  as  the  other.  By  this  time 
our  horses  were  in  haste  to  be  in  camp,  as  well  as  ourselves, 
and  mine  made  such  lengthy  strides  in  descending  that  it  shook 
my  sides  surprisingly.  It  was  dark  when  we  got  into  camp, 
but  the  tent  was  ready  for  me,  and  tea,  also,  for  Mr.  McLeod 
invited  us  to  sup  with  him.  Dearest  mother,  let  me  tell  you 
how  I  am  sustained  by  the  Lord  in  all  this  journey.  For  two 
or  three  days  past  I  have  felt  weak,  restless,  and  scarcely  able 
to  sit  on  my  horse,  yesterday  in  particular.  But  see  how  I 
have  been  diverted  by  the  scenery,  and  carried  out  of  myself 
by  conversation  about  home  and  friends.  Mother  will  recol- 
lect what  my  feelings  were,  and  had  been  for  a  year  previous 
to  my  leaving  home;  the  last  revival  I  enjoyed  on  my  visit  to 
Onondaga,  and  the  scenes  there.  These  I  call  my  last  im- 
pressions of  home,  and  they  were  of  such  a  character  that 
when  we  converse  about  home,  these  same  feelings  are  revived, 
and  I  forget  that  I  am  weary  and  want  rest.  This  morning 
my  feelings  were  a  little  peculiar;  felt  remarkably  strong  and 
well,  so  much  so  as  to  mention  it;  but  could  not  see  any  reason 
why  1  should  feel  any  more  rested  than  on  the  morning  pre- 
vious. When  I  began  to  see  what  a  day's  ride  was  before  me, 
then  1  understood  it.  If  I  had  had  no  heller  health  today 
than    yesterday    1    should    have    fainted   under    it.       Then   the 


82  Marcus  Whitman 

promise  appeared  in  full  view.  "As  thy  days  so  shall  thy 
strength  be,"  and  my  soul  rejoiced  in  God,  and  testified  to 
the  truth  of  another  evidently  manifest,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you 
always." 

30th.  In  consequence  of  the  lengthy  camp  yesterday  and 
failure  of  animals,  two  of  the  Company's  men  left  their  ani- 
mals behind,  with  packs  also.  These  occasioned  some  anxiety, 
lest  the  wolves  should  destroy  their  beaver.  Today  they  sent 
back  for  them,  and  we  made  but  a  short  move,  to  find  more 
grass.  On  following  the  course  of  the  stream  on  which  we  en- 
camped last  night,  we  found  cherries  in  abundance,  and  had 
time  to  stop  and  gather  as  many  as  we  wished.  They  are  very 
fine,  equal  to  any  we  find  in  the  States.  When  we  arrived,  Mr. 
(J ray  had  the  dinner  waiting  for  us.  This  afternoon  the  men 
rested  and  made  preparations  to  enter  Walla  WTalla.  The 
men  who  went  for  the  animals  returned  late.  We  all  regretted 
this  hindrance,  for  Mr.  McLeod  intended  to  see  Walla  Walla 
today,  and  return  again  with  a  muskmelon  for  Mrs.  Whitman 
(so  he  said).  He  will  go  in  tomorrow.  It  is  the  custom  of 
the  country  to  send  heralds  ahead  to  announce  the  arrival  of  a 
party,  and  prepare  for  their  reception. 

31st.  Came  to  the  Walla  Walla  Eiver,  within  eight  miles 
of  the  Fort.  [Now  Wallula].  Husband  and  I  were  very 
much  exhausted  with  this  day's  lengthy  ride.  Most  of  the 
way  was  sandy,  with  no  water  for  many  miles.  When  we  left 
Mr.  Spalding,  husband  rode  an  Indian  horse,  which  he  had 
never  mounted  before,  and  found  him  a  hard  rider  in  every 
gait,  except  a  gallop;  and  slow  in  his  movements,  nor  could 
he  pace,  as  mine  did,  so  for  the  last  six  days  we  have  galloped 
most  of  the  way,  where  the  ground  would  admit  of  it. 

September  1st,  1836.  You  can  better  imagine  our  feelings 
this  morning  than  we  can  describe  them.  I  could  not  realize 
that  the  end  of  our  long  journey  was  so  near.  We  arose  as 
soon  as  it  was  light,  took  a  cup  of  coffee,  ate  of  the  duck  we 
had  given  us  last  night,  and  dressed  for  Walla  Walla.  We 
started  while  it  was  yet  early,  for  all  were  in  haste  to  reach 
the  desired  haven.  If  you  could  have  seen  us  you  would  have 
been  surprised,  for  both  man  and  beast  appeared  alike  to  be  im- 
pelled by  the  same  force.     The  whole  company  galloped  almost 


Across  the  Continent  83 

the  whole  of  the  way  to  the  Fort.  The  first  appearance  we 
saw  of  civilization  was  the  garden,  two  miles  this  side  of  the 
Fort.  The  fatigues  of  the  long  journey  seemed  to  be  forgotten 
in  the  excitement  of  being  so  near  the  close.  Soon  the  Fort  ap- 
peared in  sight,  and  when  it  was  announced  that  we  were  near, 
Mr.  McLeod,  Mr.  Pambrun,  the  gentleman  of  the  house,  and  Mr. 
Townsend  [a  traveling  naturalist],  sallied  forth  to  meet  us. 
After  the  usual  introduction  and  salutation,  we  entered  the 
Fort  and  were  comfortably  situated  in  cushioned  arm  chairs. 
They  were  just  eating  breakfast  as  we  rode  up,  and  soon  we 
were  seated  at  the  table,  and  treated  to  fresh  salmon,  potatoes, 
tea,  bread  and  butter.  What  a  variety,  thought  I.  You  can- 
not imagine  what  an  appetite  these  rides  in  the  mountains  give 
a  person.  I  wish  some  of  the  feeble  ones  in  the  States  could 
have  rode  over  the  mountains ;  they  would  have  said,  like  me, 
that  victuals,  even  the  plainest  kinds,  never  relished  so  well 
before. 

After  breakfast  we  were  shown  the  novelties  of  the  place. 
While  at  breakfast,  however,  a  young  rooster  placed  himself 
upon  the  sill  of  the  door  and  crowed.  Now,  whether  it  was 
the  sight  of  the  first  white  woman,  or  out  of  compliment  to 
the  company,  I  know  not,  but  this  much  for  him,  I  was  pleased 
with  his  appearance.  You  may  think  me  simple  for  speaking 
of  such  a  small  circumstance.  No  one  knows  the  feelings  oc- 
casioned by  objects  once  familiar  after  a  long  deprivation,  es- 
pecially when  it  is  heightened  by  no  expectation  of  meeting 
with  them.  The  door  yard  was  filled  with  hens,  turkeys,  and 
pigeons.  In  another  place  we  saw  cows  and  goats  in  abun- 
dance, and  I  think  the  largest  and  fattest  cattle  and  swine  I 
ever  saw. 

We  were  soon  shown  to  a  room  which  Mr.  Pambrun  said 
he  had  prepared  for  us,  by  making  two  bedsteads,  or  bunks,  on 
hearing  of  our  approach.  It  was  the  west  bastion  of  the  Fort, 
full  of  port  holes  in  the  sides,  but  no  windows,  and  filled 
with  firearms.  A  large  cannon,  always  loaded,  stood  behind 
the  door  by  one  of  the  holes.  These  things  did  not  disturb 
me.  I  am  so  well  pleased  with  the  possession  of  a  room  to 
shelter  me  from  the  scorching  sun  that  I  scarcely  notice  (hem. 
Having  arranged  our  things,  wo  were  soon  called  to  a  feast 


84  Marcus  Whitman 

of  melons,  the  first  I  think,  I  ever  saw  or  tasted.  The  musk- 
melon  was  the  largest,  measuring  eighteen  inches  in  length, 
fifteen  around  the  small  end,  and  nineteen  around  the  large 
end.  You  may  be  assured  that  none  of  us  were  satisfied  or 
willing  to  leave  the  table  until  we  had  filled  our  plates  with 
chips. 

At  four  o'clock  we  were  called  to  dine.  It  consisted  of 
pork,  turnips,  cabbage,  tea,  bread  and  butter — my  favorite 
dishes,  and  much  like  the  last  dinner  I  ate  with  Mother  Loomis. 
I  am  thus  particular  in  my  description  of  eatables,  so  that  you 
may  be  assured  that  we  find  something  to  eat  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains  as  well  as  at  home.  We  find  plenty  of  salt,  but 
many  here  prefer  to  do  almost  and  some  entirely  without  it 
on  their  meats  and  vegetables. 

Sept.  2.  Have  busied  myself  today  in  unpacking  my  trunk 
and  arranging  my  things  for  a  visit  to  Vancouver.  Mother 
will  wonder  at  this,  and  think  me  a  strange  child  for  wishing 
to  add  three  hundred  miles  to  this  journey ;  not  from  necessity, 
but  my  husband  is  going,  and  I  may  as  well  go  as  to  stay  here 
alone.  If  we  were  obliged  to  go  on  horseback,  I  think  I  should 
not  wish  to  undertake  it,  but  we  are  going  in  a  boat,  and  it 
will  not  take  us  more  than  six  days  to  go  there.  It  is  a\very 
agreeable  change  and  I  think  that  I  shall  enjoy  it  as  well  as  to 
stay  here.  I  feel  remarkably  well  and  rested,  do  not  need  to 
lounge  at  all,  and  so  it  is  with  us  all.  I  can  scarcely  believe 
it  possible  of  myself,  but  it  is  true.  I  feel  as  vigorous,  and 
as  well  able  to  engage  in  any  domestic  employment  as  I  ever 
did  in  my  life.  I  have  not  yet  introduced  you  to  the  lady  of 
the  house.  She  is  a  native  from  a  tribe  east  of  the  moun- 
tains. She  appears  well,  does  not  speak  English,  but  her 
native  language  and  French.  The  cooking  and  housework  is 
done  by  men,  chiefly.  Mr.  Pambrun  is  from  Canada,  and 
much  the  gentleman  in  his  appearance. 

Sept.  3.  Mr.  McLeod  and  Townsend  left  for  Vancouver 
today,  but  Mr.  McLeod  is  so  loaded  as  not  to  be  able  to  give 
us  a  comfortable  passage.  Mr.  Pambrun  is  going  by  himself 
next  week,  and  offers  us  a  passage  with  him. 

About  noon  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding  arrived  with  their  com- 
pany, having  made  better  progress  than  was  anticipated.    Here 


Across  the  Continent  85 

we  are  all  at  Walla  Walla,  through  the  mercy  of  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, in  health,  and  all  our  lives  preserved.  What  cause  for 
gratitude  and  praise  to  God.  Surely,  my  heart  is  ready  to 
leap  for  joy  at  the  thought  of  being  so  near  the  long  desired 
work  of  teaching  the  benighted  ones  the  knowledge  of  the  Sa- 
viour, and  having  completed  this  journey  under  such  favorable 
circumstances.  Mr.  Pambrun  said  to  us  the  day  we  arrived, 
1hat  there  never  had  been  such  a  company  previous  to  ours 
that  came  into  the  Fort  so  well  fed  as  ours  for  the  last  days 
of  the  journey.  All  our  friends  of  the  East  Company,  who 
knew  anything  about  the  Company,  dreaded  this  part  for  us 
very  much,  but  the  Lord  has  been  with  us,  and  provided  for  us 
all  the  way,  and  blessed  be  His  holy  name.  Another  cause 
for  gratitude  is  the  preservation  of  our  animals,  in  this  diffi- 
cult, dangerous  and  lengthy  route,  while  many  parties  pre- 
vious to  ours  have  had  every  animal  taken  from  them,  and 
left  on  foot  in  a  dangerous  land,  exposed  to  death.  Two  horses 
have  given  out  with  fatigue  and  have  been  left,  two  have  been 
stolen  or  lost,  but  most  that  we  have  now  have  come  all  the 
way  from  the  settlements,  and  appear  well.  Two  calves  have 
been  lost ;  the  remainder  came  on  well,  except  those  we  left  at 
Snake  Fort. 

Sabbath,  Jfth.  This  has  been  a  day  of  mutual  thanksgiving 
with  us  all.  Assembled  at  the  Fort  at  twelve  o'clock  for  wor- 
ship ;  onr  feelings  are  better  imagined  than  described.  This 
first  Sabbath  in  September,  a  Sabbath  of  rest,  first  after  com- 
pleting a  long  journey,  first  in  the  vicinity  of  our  future  labors. 
All  of  us  here  before  God.  It  is  not  enough  for  us  alone  to  be 
thankful;  will  not  my  beloved  friends  at  home,  the  disciples 
of  Jesus,  unite  with  us  in  gratitude  and  praise  to  God  for  His 
great  mercy?  It  is  in  answer  to  your  prayers  that  we  are 
here,  and  are  permitted  to  see  this  day  under  such  circum- 
stances. Feel  to  dedicate  myself  renewedly  to  His  service 
jiniong  the  heathen.  And  may  the  Lord's  hand  be  as  evidently 
manifest  in  blessing  our  labors  among  them,  as  it  has  in  bring- 
ing us  here,  and  that,  too,  in  answer  to  your  prayers,  beloved 
Christian  friends. 

5th.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding  have  concluded  to  go  with  us 
to  Vancouver,  as  nothing  can  be  done  by  either  of  the  parly 


86  Marcus  Whitman 

about  location  until  the  Indians  return  from  their  summer's 
hunt.  Expect  to  leave  tomorrow.  Have  had  exceedingly  high 
winds  for  two  days  and  nights  past,  to  which  this  place  is 
subject.  Our  room  shakes,  and  the  wind  makes  such  a  noise 
that  we  can  scarcely  hear  each  other  converse. 

Sept.  7,  1836.  We  set  sail  from  Walla  Walla  yesterday  at 
two  o'clock  p.  m.  Our  boat  is  an  open  one,  manned  with  six 
oars  and  the  steersman.  I  enjoy  it  much;  it  is  a  very  pleasant 
change  in  our  manner  of  traveling.  The  Columbia  is  a  beauti- 
ful river.  Its  waters  are  clear  as  crystal  and  smooth  as  a  sea 
of  glass,  exceeding  in  beauty  the  Ohio;  but  the  scenery  on  each 
side  of  it  is  very  different.  There  is  no  timber  to  be  seen,  but 
there  are  high  perpendicular  banks  of  rocks  in  some  places, 
while  rugged  bluffs  and  plains  of  sand  in  others,  are  all  that 
greet  the  eye.  We  sailed  until  near  sunset,  when  we  landed, 
pitched  our  tents,  supped  our  tea,  bread  and  butter,  boiled  ham 
and  potatoes,  committed  ourselves  to  the  care  of  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, and  retired  to  rest. 

This  morning  we  arose  before  sunrise,  embarked  and  sailed 
until  nine  o'clock,  and  are  now  landed  for  breakfast.  Mr. 
Pambrun's  cook  is  preparing  it,  while  husband  and  myself  are 
seated  by  a  little  shrub,  writing.  We  are  this  moment  called. 
Farewell. 

8th.  Came  last  night  quite  to  the  Chute  [above  The 
Dalles],  a  fall  in  the  river  not  navigable.  There  we  slept,  and 
this  morning  Lnade  the  portage.  All  were  obliged  to  land,  un- 
load, carry  our  baggage,  and  even  the  boat  for  half  a  mile.  I 
had  frequently  seen  the  picture  of  the  Indians  carrying  a 
canoe,  but  now  I  saw  the  reality.  We  found  plenty  of  Indians 
here  to  assist  in  making  the  portage.  After  loading  several 
with  our  baggage  and  sending  them  on,  the  boat  was  capsized, 
then  placed  upon  the  heads  of  about  twenty  of  them,  who 
marched  off  with  it,  with  perfect  ease.  Below  the  main  fall 
of  water  are  rocks,  deep,  narrow  channels,  and  many  frightful 
precipices.  We  walked  deliberately  among  the  rocks,  viewing 
the  scene  with  astonishment,  for  this  once  beautiful  river 
seemed  to  be  cut  up  and  destroyed  by  these  huge  masses  of 
rock.  Indeed,  it  is  difficult  to  find  where  the  main  body  of 
water  passes.     In  high  water  we  are  told  that  these  rocks  are 


Across  the  Continent  87 

all  covered  with  water,  the  river  rising  to  such  an  astonishing 
height. 

After  paying  the  Indians  for  their  assistance,  which  was  a 
twist  of  tobacco  about  the  length  of  a  finger  to  each,  we  re- 
loaded, went  on  board,  sailed  about  two  miles,  and  stopped  for 
breakfast.  This  was  done  to  get  away  from  a  throng  of  In- 
dians. Many  followed  us,  however,  to  assist  in  making  an- 
other portage,  three  miles  below  this. 

Sept.  9th.  We  came  to  The  Dalles  just  before  noon.  Here 
our  boat  was  stopped  by  two  rocks  of  immense  size  and  height, 
all  the  water  of  the  river  passing  between  them  in  a  very  nar- 
row channel,  and  with  great  rapidity.  Here  we  were  obliged 
to  land  and  make  a  portage  of  two  and  a  half  miles,  carrying 
the  boat  also.  The  Dalles  is  the  great  resort  of  Indians  of 
many  tribes  for  taking  fish.  We  did  not  see  many,  however, 
for  they  had  just  left. 

Xow,  mother,  if  I  was  with  you  by  the  fireside,  I  would  re- 
late a  scene  that  would  amuse  you,  and  at  the  same  time  call 
forth  your  sympathies.  But  for  my  own  gratification  I  will 
write  it.  After  we  landed,  curiosity  led  us  to  the  top  of  a 
rock  to  see  the  course  of  the  river  through  its  narrow  channel. 
But  as  I  expected  to  walk  that  portage,  husband  thought  it 
would  be  giving  me  too  much  fatigue  to  do  both.  I  went  with 
him  to  its  base,  to  remain  there  until  his  return.  I  took  a 
handful  of  hazel  nuts  and  thought  I  would  divert  mvself  with 
cracking  and  eating  them.  I  had  just  seated  myself  in  the 
shade  of  the  rock,  ready  to  commence  work,  when  feeling  some- 
thing unusual  on  my  neck,  I  put  my  hand  under  my  cape  and 
took  from  thence  two  insects,  which  I  soon  discovered  to  be 
fleas.  Immediately  I  cast  my  eyes  upon  my  dress  before  me, 
and  to  my  astonishment,  found  it  was  black  with  these  crea- 
tures, making  all  possible  speed  to  lay  siege  to  my  neck  and 
ears.  This  sight  made  me  almost  frantic.  What  to  do  I  knew 
not.  Husband  was  away,  Sister  Spalding  had  gone  past  hear- 
ing, to  stand  still  I  could  not.  I  climbed  up  the  rock  in  pur- 
suit of  my  husband,  who  soon  saw  and  came  to  me.  I  could 
not  tell  him,  but  showed  him  the  cause  of  my  distress.  On 
opening  the  gathers  of  my  dress  around  the  waist  every  plait 
was  lined  with  them.     Thus  they  had  already  laid  llicmselves 


88  Marcus  Whitman 

in  ambush  for  a  fresh  attack.  We  brushed  and  shook,  and 
shook  and  brushed  for  an  hour,  not  stopping  to  kill,  for  that 
would  have  beeu  impossible.  By  this  time  they  were  reduced 
very  considerably,  and  I  prepared  to  go  to  the  boat.  I  was 
relieved  from  walking  by  the  offer  of  a  horse  from  a  young 
chief.  This  was  a  kindness,  for  the  way  was  mostly  through 
sand,  and  the  walk  would  have  been  fatiguing.  I  found  the 
confinement  of  the  boat  distressing  on  account  of  my  miserable 
companions,  who  would  not  let  me  rest  for  a  moment  in  any 
oue  position.  But  I  was  not  the  only  sufferer.  Every  one  in 
the  boat  was  alike  troubled,  both  crew  and  passengers.  As 
soon  as  I  was  able  to  make  a  cbange  in  my  apparel,  I  found 
relief.  We  made  fine  progress  this  morning  till  9  o'clock, 
when  we  were  met  with  a  head  wind,  and  obliged  to  make 
shore.  We  met  the  crew  last  night  with  the  Western  Express. 
This  express  goes  from  and  returns  to  Vancouver  twice  a 
year. 

Eve.  Have  lain  still  all  day  because  of  the  wind.  This  is 
a  detention,  as  we  intended  to  have  been  at  Vancouver  by  to- 
morrow evening.  A  party  of  Indians  came  to  our  camp  this 
eve.  Every  head  was  flattened.  These  are  the  first  that  I  have 
seen  near  enough  to  be  able  to  examine  them.  Their  eyes  have 
a  dull  and  heavy  expression. 

10th.     High  winds,  and  not  able  to  move  at  all  today. 

11th.  We  came  to  the  Cascades  for  breakfast;  another 
important  fall  in  the  river,  where  we  are  obliged  to  make  a 
portage  of  a  mile.  The  boat  was  towed  along  by  the  rocks 
with  a  rope  over  the  falls.  This  is  another  great  place  for 
salmon  fishing.  A  boat  load  was  just  ready  for  Vancouver 
when  we  arrived.  I  saw  an  infant  here  whose  head  was  in 
the  pressing  machine.  This  was  a  pitiful  sight.  Its  mother 
took  great  satisfaction  in  unbinding  and  showing  its  naked 
head  to  us.  The  child  lay  upon  a  board  between  which  and 
its  head  was  a  squirrel  skin.  On  its  forehead  lay  a  small, 
square  cushion,  over  which  was  a  bandage  drawn  tight  around, 
pressing  its  head  against  the  board.  In  this  position  it  is  kept 
three  or  four  months  or  longer,  until  the  head  becomes  a  fash- 
ionable shape.  There  is  a  variety  of  shapes  among  them,  some 
being  sharper  than  others.      I  saw  a  child  about  a  year  old 


Across  the  Continent  89 

whose  head  had  been  recently  released  from  pressure,  as  I  sup- 
posed from  its  looks.  All  the  back  part  of  it  was  of  a  purple 
color,  as  if  it  had  been  sadly  bruised.  We  are  told  that  this 
custom  is  wearing  away  very  fast.  There  are  only  a  few  tribes 
of  this  river  who  practice  it. 

Sept.  1.2.  Breakfasted  at  the  sawmill  five  miles  from  Van- 
couver, and  made  preparations  for  entering  it.  You  may  be 
surprised  to  hear  of  a  sawmill  here,  when  I  said  that  there 
was  no  timber  on  the  Columbia.  Since  we  passed  the  Cascades 
the  scene  is  changed,  and  we  are  told  there  is  timber  all  the 
way  to  the  coast. 

Eve.  We  are  now  in  Vancouver,  the  New  York  of  the  Pa- 
cific Ocean.  Our  first  sight  as  we  approached  the  fort  was 
two  ships  lying  in  the  harbor,  one  of  which,  the  Neriade,  Cap- 
tain Royal,  had  just  arrived  from  London.  The  Columbia, 
Captain  Dandy,  came«iast  May,  and  has  since  been  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  and  returned.  On  landing  we  first  met  Mr.  Town- 
send,  whom  we  saw  at  Walla  Walla.  He  is  from  Philadelphia, 
and  has  been  in  the  mountains  for  two  years.  He  is  sent  here 
by  a  society  to  collect  the  different  species  of  bipeds  and  quad- 
rupeds, peculiar  to  this  country.  We  brought  a  parcel  of  let- 
ters to  him,  the  first  he  had  received  since  he  had  left  home. 
Mr.  Townsend  led  us  into  the  Fort.  But  before  we  reached 
the  home  of  the  chief  factor,  Dr.  McLoughlin,  we  were  met  by 
several  gentlemen,  who  came  to  give  us  a  welcome,  Mr.  Doug- 
las, Dr.  Tolmie,  and  Dr.  McLoughlin,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, who  invited  us  in,  and  seated  us  on  the  sofa.  Soon  we 
were  introduced  to  Mrs.  McLoughlin  and  Mrs.  Douglas,  both 
natives  of  the  country — half-breeds.  After  chattering  a  little 
we  were  invited  to  walk  in  the  garden. 

What  a  delightful  place  this  is;  what  a  contrast  to  the 
rough,  barren  sand  plains,  through  which  we  had  so  recently 
pnssed.  nere  we  find  fruit  of  every  description,  apples, 
peaches,  grapes,  pears,  plums  and  fig  trees  in  abundance;  also 
cucumbers,  melons,  beans,  peas,  beets,  cabbage,  tomatoes  and 
every  kind  of  vegetable  too  numerous  to  mention.  Every  pari 
is  very  neat  and  tastefully  arranged,  with  fine  walks,  lined  on 
each  side  with  strawberry  vines.  At  the  opposite  end  of  the 
garden  is  a  good  summer  house  covered  with  grape  vines.    Here 


90  Marcus  Whitman 

I  must  mention  the  origin  of  these  and  apples.  A  gentleman, 
twelve  years  ago,  while  at  a  party  in  London,  put  the  seeds 
of  the  grapes  and  apples  which  he  ate  into  his  vest  pocket. 
Soon  afterwards  he  took  a  voyage  to  this  country  and  left 
them  here,  and  now  they  are  greatly  multiplied. 

After  promenading  as  much  as  we  wished,  and  returning, 
we  were  met  by  Mrs.  Copendel,  a  lady  from  England,  who  ar- 
rived in  the  ship  Columbia  last  May,  and  Miss  Maria,  daughter 
of  Dr.  McLoughlin,  quite  an  interesting  young  lady.  After 
dinner  we  were  introduced  to  Rev.  Mr.  Beaver  and  lady,  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  arrived  last  week 
in  the  ship  Neriade.  This  is  more  than  we  expected  when  we 
left  home,  that  we  should  be  privileged  with  the  acquaintance 
and  society  of  two  English  ladies.  Indeed,  we  seem  to  be  nearly 
allied  to  Old  England,  for  most  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Com- 
pany are  from  there  and  Scotland. 

We  have  not  found  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  here,  to  our  great 
disappointment.  He  went  to  Oahu  in  the  ship  Columbia,  a 
few  weeks  before  we  arrived.  We  have  mourned  about  it  con- 
siderabty,  for  we  thought  it  would  be  so  acceptable  to  our  dear 
parents  and  friends  at  home  to  hear  him  say  that  he  had  seen 
us  alive  here  after  completing  this  long,  unheard-of  journey. 
Resides,  I  wish  to  send  home  many  things  which  I  cannot  now. 
More  than  all  this,  his  counsels  and  advice  would  have  been 
such  a  relief  to  us,  at  this  important  time,  as  to  location,  char- 
acter of  the  Indians,  and  the  like.  But  it  was  wisely  ordered, 
and  we  submit.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  favorite  here,  and 
1o  have  done  much  good.  The  Messrs.  Lee  left  Vancouver  on 
Saturday  last  for  their  station  on  the  Wallamet.  Mr.  Daniel 
Lee  has  been  out  of  health,  and  for  the  year  past  has  been  at 
Oahu.     He  returned  on  the  Neriade,  benefited  by  his  visit. 

Sept.  13.  This  morning  visited  the  school  to  hear  the  chil- 
dren sing.  It  consists  of  about  fifty-one  children  who  have 
French  fathers  and  Indian  mothers.  All  the  laborers  here  are 
Canadian  French,  with  Indian  wives.  Indeed,  some  of  the 
gentlemen  of  the  Company  have  native  wives  and  have  adopted 
the  customs  of  the  country  not  to  allow  their  wives  to  eat  with 
them.  French  is  the  prevailing  language  here.  English  is 
spoken  only  by  a  few. 


> 

o 

o 

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5C 


Across  the  Continent  91 

Just  before  dinner  we  went  on  board  the  Neriade,  the  first 
ship  I  ever  saw.  She  is  a  man-of-war,  and  goes  to  the  North- 
west coast  soon. 

The  Columbia  returns  to  London  this  fall.  The  Company 
have  lost  three  ships  on  the  coast. 

Sept.  llf.  We  were  invited  to  a  ride  to  see  the  farm — have 
rode  fifteen  miles  this  afternoon.  We  visited  the  barns,  stock, 
etc.  They  estimated  their  wheat  crops  at  four  thousand  bush- 
els this  year,  peas  the  same,  oats  and  barley  between  fifteen 
and  seventeen  hundred  bushels  each.  The  potato  and  turnip 
fields  are  large  and  fine.  Their  cattle  are  numerous,  estimated 
at  a  thousand  head  in  all  the  settlements.  They  have  swine 
in  abundance,  also  sheep  and  goats,  but  the  sheep  are  of  an 
inferior  kind.  We  find  also  hens,  turkeys  and  pigeons,  but  no 
geese. 

You  will  ask  what  kind  of  beds  they  have  here.  I  can  tell 
you  what  kind  of  bed  they  made  for  us,  and  I  have  since  found 
it  a  fashionable  bed  for  this  country.  The  bedstead  is  in  the 
form  of  a  bunk,  with  a  rough  board  bottom,  upon  which  are 
laid  about  a  dozen  of  the  Indian  blankets.  These  with  a  pair 
of  pillows,  covered  with  calico  cases,  constitute  our  beds,  sheets 
and  covering.  There  are  several  feather  beds  in  the  place, 
made  of  the  feathers  of  wild  ducks,  geese,  cranes  and  the  like. 
There  is  nothing  here  suitable  for  ticking.  The  best  and  only 
material  is  brown  linen  sheeting.  The  Indian  ladies  make 
theirs  of  deer  skin.  Could  we  obtain  a  pair  of  geese  from 
any  quarter  I  should  think  much  of  them. 

Sept.  16.  Every  day  we  have  something  new  to  see.  We 
went  to  the  stores,  and  found  them  filled  above  and  below  with 
the  cargo  of  the  two  ships,  all  in  unbroken  bales.  They  are 
chiefly  Indian  goods,  and  will  be  sent  away  this  fall  to  the 
several  different  posts  of  the  Company  in  the  ship  Neriade. 
We  have  found  here  every  article  for  comfort  and  durability 
that  we  need,  but  many  articles  for  convenience,  and  all  fancy 
articles  are  not  here.  Visited  the  dairy  also,  where  we  found 
butter  and  cheese  in  abundance.  Saw  an  improvement  in  the 
manner  of  raising  cream.  Their  pans  are  an  oblong  square, 
quite  large  but  shallow,  flaring  a  little,  made  of  wood  and 
lined  with  tin.     In  the  center  is  a  hole  with  a  long  plug.   When 


92  Marcus  Whitman 

the  cream  has  risen,  they  place  the  pan  over  a  tub  or  pail,  re- 
move the  plug,  and  the  milk  will  run  off,  leaving  only  the  cream 
in  the  pan.  I  think  that  these  must  be  very  convenient  in  a 
large  dairy.     They  milk  between  fifty  and  sixty  cows. 

On  visiting  the  mill,  we  did  not  find  it  in  a  high  state  of  im- 
provement. It  goes  by  horsepower,  and  has  a  wire  bolt.  This 
eeemed  a  hard  way  of  getting  bread,  but  better  so  than  no 
bread,  or  to  grind  by  hand.  The  Company  have  one  at  Col- 
ville  that  goes  by  water,  five  days'  ride  from  Walla  Walla,  from 
whence  we  expect  to  obtain  our  flour,  potatoes  and  pork.  They 
have  three  hundred  hogs. 

Dr.  McLoughlin  promises  to  loan  us  enough  to  make  a 
beginning  and  all  the  return  he  asks  is  that  we  supply  other 
settlers  in  the  same  way.  He  appears  desirous  to  afford  us 
every  facility  for  living  in  his  power.  No  person  could  have 
received  a  more  hearty  welcome  or  be  treated  with  greater  kind- 
ness than  we  have  been  since  our  arrival. 

8ej)t.  lltli.  A  subject  is  now  before  the  minds  of  certain 
individuals,  in  which  I  feel  a  great  interest.  It  is  that  we 
ladies  spend  the  winter  at  Vancouver,  while  our  husbands  go 
to  seek  their  locations  and  build.  Dr.  McLoughlin  is  certain 
that  it  will  be  the  best  for  us,  and  I  believe  is  determined  to 
have  us  stay.  The  thought  of  it  is  not  very  pleasant  to  either 
of  us.  For  several  reasons  I  had  rather  go  to  Walla  Walla, 
where  if  we  failed  to  make  a  location,  or  of  building  this  fall, 
we  could  stav  very  comfortablv,  and  have  enough  to  eat,  but 
not  as  comfortably  or  have  as  great  a  variety  as  here;  besides 
there  is  the  difficulty  of  ascending  the  river  in  high  water,  not 
to  say  anything  of  a  six  months'  separation,  when  it  seems 
to  be  least  desirable;  but  all  things  will  be  ordered  for  the 
best. 

Sept.  18.  Mr.  Beaver  held  two  services  in  a  room  in  Dr. 
McLoughlin's  barn  today.  Enjoyed  the  privilege  much.  This 
form  of  worship,  of  the  Church  of  England,  differs  in  no  way 
from  that  of  the  Episcopalians  in  the  States.  The  most  of 
the  gentlemen  of  the  Fort  are  Scotch  Presbyterians,  very  few 
being  Episcopalians.  The  great  mass  of  the  laborers  are  Ro- 
man Catholics,  who  have  three  services  during  the  Sabbath, 
one  of  which  is  attended  at  this  house,  at  which  Dr.  McLough- 


Across  the  Continent  93 

lin  officiates  in  French.  He  translates  a  sermon  or  a  tract  and 
reads  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  and  a  prayer.  The  singing  in  Mr. 
Beaver's  church  was  done  by  the  children,  some  of  their  tunes 
having  been  taught  them  by  Rev.  Mr.  Parker,  and  others  by  the 
Mr.  Shepherd,  of  the  Methodist  Mission. 

Sept.  19.  The  question  is  decided  at  last,  that  we  stay  here 
about  four  or  five  weeks.  There  is  so  much  baggage  to  be 
taken  up  now,  that  the  boat  will  be  sufficiently  loaded  without 
us.  Have  the  cheering  promise  that  our  husbands  will  come 
for  us  in  a  short  time  if  prospered.  One  thing  comforts  us, 
they  are  as  unwilling  to  leave  us  as  we  are  stay,  and  would 
not,  if  it  were  possible  for  us  to  go  now.  From  this  we  are 
sure  that  they  will  make  every  effort  to  return  for  us  soon.  We 
are  told  that  the  rainy  season  will  commence  soon,  and  con- 
tinue through  the  winter  and  late  in  the  spring,  while  at  Walla 
Walla  there  is  none.  Vancouver,  too,  is  subject  to  fever  and 
ague.  These  are  quite  good  reasons  for  preferring  Walla 
Walla,  even  if  we  had  to  live  in  a  lodge. 

Have  been  making  some  necessary  purchases  for  our  two 
Indian  boys,  Richard  and  John,  which  we  are  glad  to  do, 
partly  as  a  reward  for  their  faithful  care  of  the  cattle  during 
the  journey.  We  left  them  at  Walla  Walla.  They  regretted 
our  leaving  them,  and  now  I  cannot  feel  willing  to  stay  away 
from  them  all  winter.  Their  anxiety  to  study  continues  the 
same,  especially  Richard.  We  love  them  both,  and  feel  deeply 
interested  in  their  welfare,  and  shall  treat  them  as  our  own 
as  long  as  they  deserve  it. 

Sept.  20.  Dr.  McLoughlin  gave  my  husband  a  pair  of 
leather  pantaloons  today.  All  the  gentlemen  here  wear  them 
for  riding,  for  economy.  Riding  horseback  and  carrying  a 
gun  is  very  destructive  to  cloth  pantaloons. 

Our  husbands  have  been  making  preparations  to  leave  us 
today,  but  have  found  so  much  to  do,  that  they  could  not  get 
ready  to  leave  much  before  tonight.  They  have  concluded  to 
start  the  boat  a  short  distance  and  camp,  while  they,  with  Mr. 
Pambnin  and  Mr.  Gray,  remain  in  the  Fort,  to  leave  early  in 
the  morning. 

Sept.  21.  Our  friends  left  us  this  morning  early.  One 
thing  I  should  have  mentioned,  as  decided  upon  before  they 


94  Marcus  Whitman 

left,  was  the  propriety  of  making  two  stations.  After  consid- 
eration, it  was  decided  best  to  do  so  for  several  reasons.  The 
Cayuses,  as  well  as  the  Nez  Perces,  are  very  anxious  to  have 
teachers  among  them.  They  are  a  numerous  tribe,1  and  speak 
the  same  language  as  the  Nez  Perces.  There  are  other  fields 
open,  ready  for  the  harvest,  and  we  wish  that  there  were  many 
more  laborers  here  ready  to  occupy  them  immediately.  Sev- 
eral places  have  been  recommended,  which  our  husbands  in- 
tend visiting  before  they  fix  upon  any  place.  You  will  recol- 
lect that  we  had  Grand  Ronde  in  view  as  a  location  when  we 
left  home.  Our  reasons  for  not  fixing  upon  that  place  are  in- 
surmountable. The  pass  in  the  Blue  Mountains  is  so  difficult, 
end  the  distance  so  great  that  it  would  be  next  to  impossible 
to  think  of  obtaining  supplies  sufficient  for  our  support.  We 
could  not  depend  upon  game,  for  it  is  very  scarce  and  uncer- 
tain. Mr.  Parker  recommends  a  place  on  the  Kooskooska 
(Clearwater)  River,  six  days'  ride  above  Walla  Walla.  1 
hope  to  give  you  our  exact  location  before  I  send  this. 

Sept.  22.  Dr.  McLoughlin  has  put  his  daughter  in  my  care, 
and  wishes  me  to  hear  her  recitations.  Thus  I  shall  have 
enough  to  do  for  diversion  while  I  stay.  I  could  employ  all 
my  time  in  writing  and  work  for  myself  if  it  were  not  for  his 
wishes. 

I  have  not  given  you  a  description  of  our  eatables  here. 
There  is  such  a  variety  I  know  not  where  to  begin.  For  break- 
fast we  have  coffee  or  cocoa,  salt  salmon  and  roast  ducks  with 
potatoes.  When  we  have  eaten  our  supply  of  them,  our  plates 
are  changed  and  we  make  a  finish  on  bread  and  butter. 

For  dinner  we  have  a  greater  variety.  First  we  are  always 
treated  to  a  dish  of  soup,  which  is  very  good.  All  kinds  of 
vegetables  in  use  are  taken,  chopped  fine,  and  put  into  water 
with  a  little  rice  and  boiled  to  a  soup.  The  tomatoes  are  a 
prominent  article,  and  usually  some  fowl  meat,  duck  or  other 
kind,  is  cut  fine  and  added.  If  it  has  been  roasted  once  it  is 
just  as  good  (so  the  cook  says),  and  then  spiced  to  the  taste. 
After  our  soup  dishes  are  removed,  then  comes  a  variety  of 
meats  to  prove  our  tastes.     After  selecting  and  changing,  we 

1  Not  numerous,  but  wealthy  and  influential. 


Across  the  Continent  95 

change  plates  and  try  another,  if  we  choose,  and  so  at  every 
new  dish  have  a  clean  plate.  Roast  duck  is  an  every-day  dish. 
Boiled  pork,  tripe,  and  sometimes  trotters,  fresh  salmon  or 
sturgeon,  yea,  articles  too  numerous  to  be  mentioned.  When 
these  are  set  aside,  a  nice  pudding  or  an  apple  pie  is  next  intro- 
duced. After  this  a  water  and  a  muskmelon  make  their  ap- 
pearance, and  last  of  all  cheese,  bread  or  biscuit  and  butter 
are  produced  to  complete  the  whole.  But  there  is  one  article 
on  the  table  I  have  not  yet  mentioned  and  of  which  I  never  par- 
take, that  is  wine.  The  gentlemen  frequently  drink  toasts  to 
each  other,  but  never  give  us  an  opportunity  of  refusing,  for 
they  know  that  we  belong  to  the  Teetotal  Society.  We  have 
talks  about  drinking  wine,  but  no  one  joins  our  society.  They 
have  a  Temperance  Society  here  and  at  Wallamet,  formed  by 
Mr.  Lee.  Our  tea  is  very  plain.  Bread  and  butter,  good  tea, 
plenty  of  milk  and  sugar. 

Sept.  80th.  We  are  invited  to  ride  as  often  as  once  a  week 
for  exercise,  and  we  generally  ride  all  the  afternoon.  Today 
Mrs.  McLoughlin  rode  with  us.  She  keeps  her  old  habit  of  rid- 
ing gentleman  fashion.  This  is  the  universal  custom  of  In- 
dian women,  and  they  have  saddles  with  high  backs  and  fronts. 
We  have  been  recommended  to  use  these  saddles,  as  a  more  easy 
way  of  riding,  but  we  have  never  seen  the  necessity  of  chang- 
ing our  fashion. 

I  sing  about  an- hour  every  evening  with  the  children,  teach- 
ing them  new  tunes,  at  the  request  of  Dr.  McLoughlin.  Thus 
I  am  wholly  occupied,  and  can  scarcely  find  as  much  time  as  I 
want  to  write. 

Oct.  18th.  The  Montreal  Express  came  this  afternoon,  and 
a  general  time  of  rejoicing  it  is  to  every  one.  News  from  dis- 
tant friends,  both  sad  and  pleasing. 

Mr.  Spalding  has  come  with  it,  and  brought  a  letter  from 
my  husband  filled  with  pleasing  information.  The  Lord  has 
been  with  them  since  they  left  us,  and  has  prospered  them  be- 
yond all  expectations.  They  have  each  selected  a  location,  my 
husband  remains  there  to  build,  while  Mr.  Spalding  comes  after 
us.'  Cheering  thought  this,  to  be  able  to  make  a  beginning  in 
our  pleasing  work  so  soon. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MISSION   WORK. 


The  Cayuse  Indians,  among  whom  Dr.  Whitman  settled, 
were  a  small,  but  rich,  powerful  and  influential  tribe.  Early 
writers  differ  largely  in  their  estimates  of  their  number.  Kev. 
S.  Parker,  in  1836,  gives  two  thousand,  which  is  evidently  far 
too  high.  Captain  C.  Wilkes,  in  1841,  puts  the  number  down 
as  five  hundred.  Dr.  A.  G.  Dart,  Superintendent  of  Indian  Af- 
fairs for  Oregon,  says  that  in  1851  there  were  38  men,  48  wo- 
men, and  40  children,  a  total  of  126.  A  census  of  1853  says  a 
hundred  and  twenty.  When  Dr.  Whitman  went  there  it  is 
probable  that  they  did  not  number  over  three  hundred.  But 
they  had  very  large  bands  of  horses,  and  were  a  proud  and 
haughty  tribe.  Joining  them  on  the  west  were  the  Walla 
Wallas,  which  Mr.  Parker  places  at  500,  Captain  Wilkes  at  200, 
Dr.  Dart  at  130.  To  the  northeast  were  the  Nez  Perces,  where 
Mr.  Spalding  had  located,  which  was  by  far  the  strongest,  most 
numerous,  and  most  friendly  to  Americans  of  all  the  tribes 
east  of  the  Cascade  Mountains.  All  estimates  place  them  be- 
tween seventeen  and  twenty-five  hundred.  North  were  the 
Spokanes,  numbering  eight  hundred,  according  to  Mr.  Parker, 
232  according  to  Dr.  Dart,  and  450  according  to  the  census 
of  1853. 

The  Cayuses  originally  had  a  language  of  their  own,  but 
having  intermarried  largely  with  the  Nez  Perces,  they  had 
mainly  adopted  that  of  this  tribe,  so  that  when  books  were 
printed  in  the  Nez  Perces,  the  Cayuses  used  them.  The  Walla 
"Wallas  likewise  used  largely  the  same  language,  so  that  Dr. 
Whitman  could  reach  them  and  also  assist  Mr.  Spalding  when 
needed.  All  belonged  to  the  Sahaptin  family,  while  the  Spo- 
kane language  belongs  to  the  Selish  family,  which  is  spoken 
in  British  America  and  in  northern  and  western  Washington. 

Dr.  Whitman's  account  of  some  of  their  manners  and  cus- 


Mission  Work  97 

toins,  which  was  published  in  the  Missionary  Herald  for  Sep- 
tember, 1843,  is  as  follows: 

Migrations.  "Their  migrations  are  much  in  the  following 
order  and  manner.  The  spring  return  is  the  most  general 
and  uniform.  During  this  period,  the  congregations  on  the 
Sabbath  are  from  two  to  four  hundred,  and  from  twenty  to 
fifty  on  weekday  evenings.  Planting  commences  about  the 
middle  of  April,  which  is  also  the  period  for  commencing  the 
raush  harvest.  To  obtain  this  farinaceous  root,  known  to 
travelers  and  traders  as  the  biscuit  root,  they  disperse  along 
the  streams  coming  out  of  the  Blue  Mountains.  Some  are  not 
more  than  ten  or  fifteen  miles  from  the  station,  while  others 
are  thirty  or  forty.  This  root  forms  a  great  staple  of  native 
food,  and  will  be  likely  to  continue  such  for  a  long  time.  From 
six  to  eight  weeks  are  spent  in  gathering,  drying  and  deposit- 
ing this  root.  During  this  time,  and  about  the  10th  or  15th 
of  May,  the  salmon  arrive,  and  some  fruits  are  ripe,  which  re- 
ceive their  share  of  attention.  At  this  season  all  the  smaller 
tributaries  of  the  Columbia  are  barred  by  a  web  or  wicker-work 
of  willows  for  taking  salmon.  The  skill  of  the  natives  is  fa- 
vorably displayed  in  this  simple  contrivance,  and  their  toil  is 
amply  repaid  by  the  quantity  taken.  While  thus  occupied, 
they  visit  the  station  to  attend  to  the  cultivation  of  their 
crops — a  labor,  in  most  cases,  performed  with  ease  and  neat- 
ness. The  latter  part  of  June  is  the  usual  period  for  buffalo 
hunters  to  set  out  on  their  expedition.  A  migration  of  from 
forty  to  sixty  miles  takes  them  across  the  Blue  Mountains 
into  the  Grande  Round.  The  river  of  Grande  Round  is  well 
supplied  with  fish,  and  the  mountains  abound  with  bear,  deer, 
etc.  The  wheat  harvest,  which  begins  the  latter  part  of  July, 
and  the  care  of  their  other  crops,  bring  many  to  the  station, 
who  remain  till  the  1st  of  October,  or  until  the  potato  harvest  is 
past.  During  this  period  there  are  more  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  station  than  at  any  other  period,  except  the  spring.  Our 
congregation  averages  from  fifty  to  two  hundred.  A  great 
number  come  and  remain  for  a  short  time,  and  then  leave, 
while  others  take  their  places.  During  this  period,  their  at- 
tention is  divided  between  their  crops  and  herds,  hunting  and 
fishing,  and  preparing  dried  fruit.      Soon  after  the  potatoes 


98  Marcus  Whitman 

are  secured,  they  begin  to  disperse  to  their  winter  quarters. 
From  fifty  to  sixty  only  remain  during  the  winter." 

Indian  Superstitions.  "Their  belief  is  that  the  present  race 
of  beasts,  birds,  reptiles  and  fish  were  men,  who  inhabited  the 
globe  before  the  present  race.  Although  doomed  to  their  pres- 
ent state  their  language  is  still  retained,  and  these  beasts, 
birds,  reptiles  and  fish  have  the  power  to  convey  this  language 
to  those  people  into  whom  they  see  fit  to  pass.  To  obtain  this 
boon,  boys  are  required  to  leave  the  lodge  and  repair  to  the 
mountains  alone,  and  there  to  stay  for  several  days  without 
food  in  order  to  be  addressed  by  some  of  these  supernatural 
agencies.  Some  return  without  any  assurance  of  the  kind ; 
others  believe  themselves  to  be  addressed,  and  they  are  very 
free  to  communicate  what  was  said  to  them,  while  others  pro- 
fess great  secrecy  and  claim  great  reverence  on  account  of 
their  mysterious  possession. 

"At  these  times  they  profess  to  be  told  what  is  to  be  their 
future  character,  and  in  what  way  they  may  secure  honor, 
wealth  and  long  life ;  how  they  will  be  invulnerable,  and  if 
wounded,  by  what  means  they  will  be  healed.  The  surgical 
knowledge  imparted  generally  consists  in  directions  how  to 
cast  off  the  extravasated  blood,  and  then  to  sit  in  a  stream  of 
water  and  sing  according  to  certain  rules.  At  these  times  they 
say  that  one  person  becomes  possessed  of  power  to  strike  or 
shoot  another  with  an  invisible  influence  or  arrow,  so  that 
disease  and  death  will  follow.  This  is  the  foundation  of  the 
system  of  sorcery,  as  seen  in  the  so-called  medicine-men. 

"Most  of  their  efforts  to  cure  the  sick  consist  in  obtaining 
one  medicine-man  to  counteract  another,  who  is  supposed  to 
have  caused  the  sickness.  The  sorcerer  employed  for  this  pur- 
pose calls  to  his  aid  a  number  of  persons,  who  sing  and  beat 
upon  sticks  with  a  horrible  noise,  while  he  himself  sings  and 
talks  and  practices  sundry  contortions,  using  at  the  same  time 
a  variety  of  incoherent  expressions,  supposed  to  be  the  lan- 
guage of  the  former  race  of  men,  as  delivered  to  him  by  the 
beast,  bird,  reptile  or  fish  which  is  helping  him  in  his  conjura- 
tions.    After  a  sufficient  display  of  this  sort  of  machinery  and 


Mission  Work  99 

a  full  lecture  to  his  coadjutors  about  the  disease,  its  cause 
and  cure,  he  proceeds  to  extract  the  evil  by  placing  his  hands  on 
the  diseased  or  painful  spot,  and  then,  if  successful,  he  casts 
himself  upon  the  floor,  with  his  hands  in  water,  as  though 
what  he  had  extracted  burnt  him.  He  then  shows  what  he 
has  drawn  out,  and  afterwards  drives  it  off  into  the  broad 
space  and  prognosticates  a  cure;  but  when  he  sees  a  prospect 
of  death,  he  often  points  out  some  one  who,  he  says,  is  causing 
the  sickness,  and  declares  the  other  to  be  possessed  by  a  more 
powerful  agent  than  himself,  so  that  he  cannot  overcome  him. 
Should  death  occur  in  such  a  case  as  this,  they  watch  the  dying 
person  to  see  if  any  expression  of  his  fastens  suspicion  upon 
the  person  named;  and  all  are  careful  to  remember  if  any 
hard  words  had  passed,  or  any  cause  whatever  confirms  the 
supposition.  Very  often  in  cases  of  this  kind,  nothing  can 
save  the  conjuror.  The  number  and  horror  of  such  deaths 
1hat  have  come  under  my  observation  have  been  great. 

"In  the  same  way  individuals  arrogate  to  themselves  power 
over  the  winds,  the  clouds,  the  rain,  the  snow,  and  the  seasons — 
in  short,  all  and  every  desired  or  desirable  object  is  sought  for 
from  this  source.  Some  are  losing  their  confidence  in  such 
things,  while  others  are  yet  strong  in  the  belief  of  their  reality. 

A  Mode  of  Gaining  Supernatural  Power.  "A  young  man 
shot  himself  through  the  body  last  July,  in  order  to  convince 
his  countrymen  of  the  strength  of  his  supernatural  protecting 
agent.  The  ball  entered  the  abdomen  a  little  to  the  right  and 
below  the  umbilicus,  and  came  out  by  an  oblique  line  above 
and  near  the  spine  on  the  same  side.  This  occurred  sixty 
miles  from  my  house,  at  the  Grande  Round,  and  the  third 
day  he  encamped  near  me  for  the  night,  and  T  saw  him  and 
examined  his  wound  in  the  morning,  lie  was  walking  about 
and  making  his  preparations  to  depart;  and  soon  he  rode  off 
on  horseback.  This  was  the  second  trial  of  his  strength,  hav- 
ing shol  himself  through  in  much  the  same  way,  about  lw<> 
years  before.  The  body  was  preserved  from  the  Hash  by  his 
leather  shirt.  He  will  now  be  regarded  as  a  strong  mystery, 
or  medicine-man." 


100  Marcus  Whitman 

Beginning  of  Missionary  Work. 

During  the  first  year  or  two  everything  was  favorable  for 
missionary  work.  The  Indians  had  received  some  instruction 
from  members  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  so  that  at  the 
lodge  of  the  chief  of  the  Cayuses  religious  worship  was  held 
every  morning,  night,  and  on  the  Sabbath.  This  consisted  of 
singing,  a  form  of  prayer,  and  an  address  from  the  chief. 
Hence  the  Indians  received  the  Doctor  gladly,  and  were  dis- 
posed to  accept  religious  instruction.  A  year  after  he  first  be- 
gan work,  he  made  a  journey  to  Lapwai,  Mr.  Spalding's  sta- 
tion, leaving  his  own  premises,  stock  and  produce  almost  en- 
tirely without  protection,  and  on  his  return  found  everything 
safe. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1837,  on  Mrs.  Whitman's  twenty-ninth 
birthday,  their  first  and  only  child  was  born,  a  daughter.  She 
was  named  Alice  Clarissa,  after  her  two  grandmothers.  For  a 
time  she  was  visited  almost  daily  by  the  Indian  chiefs  and 
principal  men,  while  the  women  thronged  the  house  to  see  her. 
They  called  her  Cayuse  te-mi  (girl)  because  she  was  born  on 
Cayuse  land,  and  as  long  as  she  lived  she  was  a  strong  bond 
between  the  missionaries  and  the  Indians.  In  regard  to  her, 
Mrs.  Whitman  wrote  to  her  home  relations:  "O,  the  respon- 
sibilities of  a  mother.  To  be  a  mother  in  heathen  lands,  among 
savages,  gives  feelings  that  never  can  be  known  only  to  those 
who  are  such.  You  see  our  situation.  If  ever  we  needed  your 
prayers  and  sympathies,  it  is  at  the  present  time.  Ye  mothers 
of  the  maternal  associations,  let  me  beg  an  interest  in  your 
prayers,  especially  for  your  unworthy  sister,  now  that  she  has 
become  a  mother,  and  for  her  little  one.  I  feel  utterly  incom- 
petent for  the  place,  and  were  it  not  for  the  strong  hand  of  the 
Lord,  I  should  sink  under  the  responsibilities  resting  upon  me." 

One  trouble  which  the  Doctor  had  at  first  was  that,  when  he 
needed  help,  he  could  not  depend  on  the  Indians,  because  they 
did  not  like  to  work  steadily.  He  was  assisted  in  this  trouble, 
however,  by  employing  a  few  Hawaiians,  of  whom  there  were 
a  number  then  in  the  country.  Another  trouble  which  he  met 
was  in  regard  to  sickness  and  the  medicine  men.  In  the  spring 
of  1837  many  of  the  Indians  were  sick  with  inflammation  of 


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Mission  Work  101 

the  lungs.  The  Doctor  attended  them,  but  many  of  them  after 
getting  better  would  overeat  or  expose  themselves,  and  have 
relapse,  after  which  they  must  have  their  medicine  men.  One 
old  chief,  Umtippe,  told  the  Doctor  that  if  his  wife  should  die 
one  night,  he  would  kill  him.  The  anxiety  and  excitement 
nearlv  made  the  Doctor  sick,  but  fortunately  none  died  to 
whom  the  Doctor  gave  medicine.  Notwithstanding  these  trials 
Mrs.  Whitman,  however,  felt  that  their  situation  was  far  pref- 
erable to  that  of  some  missionaries  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, because  no  alcohol  was  to  be  had,  the  Indians  did  not 
steal  (so  that  she  left  her  clothes  out  over  night,  feeling  as 
safe  about  them  as  when  in  Prattsburg),  and  there  was  not  a 
man  or  woman,  and  scarcely  a  child  but  what  was  clothed, 
some  with  American  clothes,  some  with  a  shirt  and  leggings, 
with  a  blanket  or  buffalo  robe  over  their  shoulders,  and  the 
women  and  girls  with  dresses  made  entirely  of  skins. 

By  March,  1838,  the  Doctor  wrote  to  the  Board :  "During 
the  winter  we  have  been  greatly  favored  by  having  a  few  very 
kind  Indians  near  us,  so  that  we  have  had  a  school  of  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty  scholars,  many  of  whom  have  made  good  pro- 
ficiency in  learning  to  read  the  English  language.  Those  who 
have  been  away  for  the  winter  hunt  are  now  returned,  and 
the  present  number  of  children  is  greater  than  we  have  books 
or  ability  to  teach.  The  only  books  we  have  for  teaching  were 
kindly  and  gratuitously  furnished  us  by  our  Methodist  breth- 
ren of  the  Willamette  Mission." 

This  school  was  kept  in  their  kitchen,  which  was  crowded 
much  of  the  time.  Mrs.  Whitman  copied  a  book  of  seventy-two 
pages,  in  the  Nez  Perces  language,  which  Mr.  Spalding  intended 
to  send  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  that  it  might  be  printed. 
This  was  probably  not  done,  as  a  press  was  received  from  the 
Islands  the  next  year. 

Doctor  Whitman  added:  "The  disposition  of  the  Indians 
appears  much  more  friendly  than  last  year,  but  still  I  need 
not  tell  you  we  have  many  perverse  dispositions  to  encounter, 
for  which  we  often  feel  we  lack  wisdom,  and  should  be  dis- 
couraged were  it  not  for  the  promises  of  God  to  be  wiili  us 
and  enlighten  us.      We  have  two  meetings  for  the  Indians  on 


102  Marcus  Whitman 

the  Sabbath,  and  in  the  evening  what  we  call  a  Sabbath  school 
for  the  children  and  youth.  The  attention  to  religious  instruc- 
tion is  good  and  solemn.  Worship  is  strictly  maintained  in 
the  principal  lodges  morning  and  evening.  Latety  I  have  been 
explaining  the  Ten  Commandments  and  our  Saviour's  first 
and  great  commandment,  to  which  they  listen  with  strict  at- 
tention, and,  from  their  inquiries,  I  think  they  understand 
them. 

"My  plan  for  teaching  the  children  is  not  to  take  them  to 
board,  but  let  them  live  with  their  parents,  and  come  for  in- 
struction. When  their  parents  are  to  be  gone  for  a  short  time 
I  will  give  them  food  and  let  them  lodge  in  my  Indian  room 
until  their  parents  return.  Some  of  the  parents  begin  to  be 
unwilling  to  be  absent,  because  it  takes  their  children  off  from 
learning  to  read. 

"The  Indians  are  making  arrangements  for  planting,  and  I 
am  in  hopes  they  will  do  much.  But  their  fear  that  other  In- 
dians will  steal  from  them  is  a  great  hindrance  to  them,  and 
all  are  anxious  to  plant  where  I  can  watch  their  crops ;  for, 
as  they  say,  the  Indians  fear  me,  but  do  not  fear  them.  In- 
dians from  a  distance  are  continually  coming  for  seed  to  plant, 
and  as  I  am  not  straightened,  it  affords  me  great  pleasure  to 
give  them.  There  seems  to  be  a  general  interest  among  the 
neighboring  Indians  to  plant.  I  am  anxious  to  cultivate  large- 
ly, as  I  expect  we  may  have  associates,  and  perhaps  some  of  our 
friends  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  may  spend  some  time  with 
us  for  their  health.  Our  situation  renders  it  necessary  to  en- 
tertain many  friends  and  passing  strangers. 

"It  has  seemed  important  to  make  a  beginning  that  would 
encourage  the  Indians  at  the  outside,  that  we  might  the  sooner 
gain  access  to  them,  and  try  the  influence  of  cultivation  and  a 
settled  manner  of  life,  not  forgetting  that  it  is  the  gospel  which 
ve  come  to  bring,  and  that  our  great  business  is  with  the  mind, 
and  not  the  body.  But  while  we  acquire  their  language,  and 
are  preparing  to  instruct  them,  they  are  not  idle  spectators. 
They  must  be  encouraged  in  the  most  useful  habits.  Every- 
thing seems  encouraging  in  our  prospects.  May  the  Lord  bless 
us,  and  direct  our  efforts  in  the  best  way !" 


Mission  Work  103 

The  summer  of  1838  was  very  favorable  for  vegetation,  and 
the  mission  crops  were  abundant.  Many  of  the  Indians  also 
had  fair  crops,  enough  to  show  them  how  much  more  comfort- 
ably they  might  live  by  agriculture  than  by  the  chase,  and 
many  more  prepared  to  follow  their  example  the  following 
year. 

In  March,  1838,  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote  her  parents  that  two 
years  had  passed  and  she  had  not  received  a  single  letter  from 
The  loved  ones  there.  The  following  July,  on  the  11th,  two 
years  and  four  months  after  leaving  home,  she  received  the  first 
letters,  dated  January  and  August  of  the  year  before.  More 
were  received  in  August,  brought  by  the  band  of  missionaries 
who  came  that  year,  and  then  she  had  to  wait  two  years  longer 
for  her  next  letters  from  the  East.  Of  newspapers,  too,  she 
says,  in  September,  1838,  that  she  had  seen  none  of  any  kind 
except  a  few  numbers  of  the  New  York  Observer  for  1836. 
She  wrote  her  sister  about  that  time  that  they  must  calculate 
that  it  would  be  three  years  before  either  of  them  could  expect 
to  receive  an  answer  to  any  letter  which  they  should  write. 
She,  however,  wrote,  September  25,  1838,  "When  the  contem- 
plated railroad  over  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  shall  have  been 
opened,  which  is  expected  to  take  place  within  two  or  three 
years,  I  hope  communications  will  be  more  frequent  than  they 
are  at  the  present  time."  This  is  the  first  mention  of  a  rail- 
road at  that  place  seen  by  the  author,  and  seems  strange,  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  state  of  the  coast  at  that  time. 

Visits,  too,  were  very  infrequent.  It  was  not  until  Novem- 
ber, 1837,  that  she  was  able  to  go  and  see  her  nearest  white 
female  neighbor,  Mrs.  Spalding,  after  a  separation  of  about  a 
year.  At  that  time  the  four  parents  gave  their  two  daughters 
to  God  in  baptism,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding  had  their  little 
iCliza,  born  November  15th,  1837.  Of  this  event,  Mrs.  Whit- 
man wrote:  "We  had  the  unspeakable  satisfaction  of  giving 
away  our  babes  to  God,  and  having  the  seal  of  that  blessed 
covenant  placed  upon  their  foreheads.  Surely,  dear  mother, 
if  this  is  a  comfort  to  mothers  in  a  Ghristian  land,  it  is  doubly 
so  in  the  midst  of  heathen.  We  also  had  the  privilege  of  com- 
memorating the  dying  love  of  the  Saviour,  a  blessing  which  we 


104  Marcus  Whitman 

have  not  enjoyed  since  we  sat  at  the  table  with  our  beloved 
friends  in  Angelica,  on  the  eve  of  our  marriage.  O,  ye  privil- 
eged ones,  who  can  sit  together  in  heavenly  places,  and  mount 
upon  wings  as  eagles,  little  do  you  realize  the  feelings  of  the 
solitary  missionary  in  the  land  of  darkness,  as  Egyptian  dark- 
ness itself." 

A  visit  in  the  spring  of  1838  from  Kev.  Jason  Lee,  of  the 
Methodist  Mission  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  greatly  refreshed 
them.  He  had  arrived  in  the  country  in  1834,  and  was  in  1838 
returning  East  for  more  laborers.  He  also  carried  with  him 
a  memorial  to  Congress,  signed  by  thirty-six  persons,  about 
three-fourths  of  all  the  white  male  inhabitants  of  the  Willam- 
ette Valley,  asking  our  government  to  take  formal  and  speedy 
possession  of  the  country.  His  preaching,  his  visit,  here  and 
at  Mr.  Spalding's,  his  conference  on  religious  questions,  and 
without  doubt  also  on  the  national  subject  of  the  possession 
of  the  country,  were  all  like  a  refreshing  rain  to  a  thirsty 
land.1 

In  August,  1838,  the  Indians  at  Dr.  Whitman's  seemed  so 
much  interested  in  the  Gospel  that  the  Doctor  sent  for  Mr. 
Spalding,  who  came,  and  a  series  of  meetings  was  held.  It 
seemed  as  if  some  had  decided  for  Christ.  At  the  close  of 
these  meetings,  August  18th,  a  church  was  organized  of  seven 
members,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman,  Jo- 
seph Mahi  and  wife,  Hawaiians,  and  Charles  Compo,  a  settler 
from  the  mountains  and  Mr.  Parker's  interpreter  in  1835,  who 
had  become  a  Christian  at  Dr.  Whitman's.  This  church  was 
Presbyterian  in  name,  the  first  of  that  denomination  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  It  was,  however,  Congregational  in  practice, 
as  long  as  the  mission  lasted,  not  being  connected  with  any 
Presbytery  or  Synod,  but  being  governed  by  a  majority  of  its 
members.  When  the  reinforcement  to  the  mission  arrived, 
the  latter  part  of  the  month,  all  united  with  it,  making  sixteen 
members.     Mr.  Spalding  was  pastor  of  it,  a  position  he  held 

1  Rev.  H.  K.  Hines  has  described  this  event  graphically  in  his  mis- 
sionary "History  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,"  Chapter  8. 


Mission  Work  105 

for  thirty-eight  years,  until  his  death,  and  Dr.  Whitman  was 
chosen  its  ruling  Elder.1 

After  the  first  winter  it  was  thought  that  the  need  for  more 
missionaries  was  so  great  that  Mr.  Gray  was  sent  East  in  1837 
to  obtain  the  needed  help.  He  was  successful  in  this,  and  re- 
turned to  Oregon  in  1838  with  his  wife,  Reverends  A.  B.  Smith, 
Elkanah  Walker,  and  Cushing  Eells  and 'their  wives,  and  Mr. 
Cornelius  Rogers.  Mr.  Gray  and  his  wife  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  journey  went  ahead  of  the  others  and  arrived  at 
Walla  Walla  on  August  14th,  the  rest  on  August  29th.  Messrs. 
Walker  and  Eells  went  north  the  same  fall  and  selected  a  sta- 
tion among  the  Spokane  Indians,  called  Tshim-a-kain,  but  they 
were  not  able  to  prepare  homes  in  which  they  could  winter, 
and  consequently  wintered  at  Dr.  Whitman's.  There,  Decem- 
ber 7th,  183S,  Cyrus  Hamlin  Walker  was  born,  who,  though  not 
the  first  American  white  boy  born  on  the  coast,  was  the  first 
to  live  to  be  of  any  age.  The  next  March  these  two  families 
left  for  their  place  of  work,  where  they  remained  nine  years. 
Mr.  Smith  and  wife  stayed  at  Waiilatpu  during  the  winter,  but 
the  next  spring  began  a  new  station  among  the  Nez  Perces  at 
Kamiah,  sixty  miles  east  of  Mr.  Spalding's.  Mr.  Gray  and 
his  wife  and  Mr.  Rogers  went  to  Lapwai  for  the  winter.  From 
a  letter  received  bv  the  Board,  written  bv  Dr.  Whitman  in 
July,  it  appeared  that  previous  to  their  arrival  he  had  given 
up  all  hope  of  having  any  help  for  that  year  at  least,  but  when 
they  arrived,  he  wrote,  "We  feel  like  Paul  when  he  met  the 
brethren  from  Rome,  we  thank  God  and  take  courage." 

1  Although  the  mission  was  broken  up  after  the  massacre  of  Dr. 
Whitman  in  1847,  yet  so  many  Indians  united  with  it  that  it  remained 
in  existence  until  after  Mr.  Spalding's  return  to  Lapwai  in  1871,  when 
it  grew  rapidly,  having  at  one  time  several  hundred  members.  In 
1888  its  semi-centennial  was  celebrated  at  Walla  Walla  and  Dr.  Whit- 
man's grave.  A  large  number  of  prominent  persons  were  present 
at  that  time,  among  them  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray,  who  had  joined  it  almost 
fifty  years  previous,  and  Rev.  Myron  Eells,  who  was  baptized  in  it 
in  his  infancy,  and  who  by  request  represented  the  American  Board 
at  that  time.  All  of  the  original  seven  members  were  then  dead,  and 
of  the  sixteen  mentioned  above  who  united  with  it  in  1838,  the  only 
ones  living  besides  Mr.  Gray  were  Rev.  Cushing  Eells,  then  at  Ta- 
coma,  Washington,  and  Mrs.  M.  R.  Walker,  at  Forest  Grove,  Oregon. 


1  06  Marcus  Whitman 

In  April,  1839,  a  printing  press  arrived  from  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  for  the  benefit  of  the  mission.  It  was  the  first  one 
on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  on  it  was  done  the  first  printing 
on  the  coast.  It  had  been  sent  by  the  American  Board  in  1819 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands  to  be  used  by  the  mission  there.  That 
was  the  year  when  the  first  missionaries  were  sent  to  those 
islands,  and,  in  1822,  their  language  had  been  so  far  reduced 
to  writing  that  the  press  came  into  use.  It  was  the  pioneer 
press  there  as  well  as  now  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  was  a 
Kamage  writing,  copying  and  seal  press,  No.  14.  After  using 
it  for  twenty  years  the  Hawaiian  mission  had  grown  so  that  it 
needed  a  larger  press,  and  consequently,  the  native  church  at 
Honolulu  bought  it,  with  type,  furniture,  paper  and  a  few 
other  articles,  altogether  valued  at  five  hundred  dollars,  and 
donated  it  to  the  Oregon  Mission  of  the  American  Board.  E. 
O.  Hall,  a  practical  printer,  at  the  Islands,  came  to  Oregon 
with  it.  His  wife's  health  was  quite  poor,  and  it  was  hoped 
that  the  voyage  and  change  would  do  her  good,  and  as  there 
was  no  printer  in  Oregon,  he  came  also  to  teach  the  art  of 
printing.  On  April  30th  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Spalding  met  it  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  at  Fort  Walla 
Walla.  By  common  consent  it  was  taken  on  horseback  to  Lap- 
wai,  where,  on  the  sixteenth  of  May,  it  was  set  up,  and  on  the 
eighteenth  the  first  proof  sheet  was  struck  off.  On  the  twenty- 
fourth  a  small  booklet  of  eight  pages  in  Nez  Perces  was 
printed.1 

1  Lapwai  remained  the  home  of  the  press  until  1846,  and  during 
that  time,  as  near  as  can  now  be  learned,  there  were  printed  an  elemen- 
tary book  of  twenty  pages,  another  of  fifty-two  pages  of  800  copies,  an- 
other in  1840  of  eight  pages,  some  simple  laws  adopted  through  the 
influence  of  Dr.  E.  White,  U.  S.  Sub.  Indian  Agent,  in  1843,  a  small 
Nez  Perces  and  English  vocabulary,  a  hymn  book,  1842,  and  a  trans- 
lation of  Matthew.  All  of  these  were  in  the  Nez  Perces  language. 
Dr.  Whitman  was  appointed  by  the  mission  to  prepare  the  one  of  800 
copies,  but  he  was  so  busy  professionally  and  felt  that  Messrs.  Smith 
and  Rogers  were  so  much  better  qualified  in  the  language  that  he 
employed  them  to  prepare  it.  The  rest  were  prepared,  as  far  as  can 
be  learned,  by  Mr.  Spalding.  In  1842  one  of  sixteen  pages  in  the  Spo- 
kane language  was  printed.  This  was  prepared  by  Messrs.  Walker 
and  Eells,  chiefly  by  the  former,  who  may  properly  hence  be  called 
the  pioneer  book  writer  of  the  State  of  Washington,  as  Mr.  Spalding 


Mission  Work  107 

On  Sabbath,  June  23rd,  1839,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman  met 
with  their  first  great  sorrow  through  the  death  by  accidental 
drowning  of  the  only  child  they  ever  had,  Alice  Clarissa, 
aged  about  two  years  and  three  months.  Without  the  knowl- 
edge of  her  parents  she  had  gone  to  the  banks  of  the  Walla 
Walla  River,  not  far  from  the  house,  taking  a  cup  to  get  a 
drink  where  they  were  accustomed  to  get  water  for  family  use, 
and  fell  in.  Her  mother  was  in  the  house,  her  father  a  short 
distance  away  on  the  premises.  The  alarm  was  conveyed  to 
Ihem  almost  instantly,  and  they  and  others  rushed  to  the 
stream,  seeking  for  their  child  with  frantic  eagerness.  But 
the  strong  current  had  carried  her  down  and  lodged  her  in  a 
clump  of  bushes  under  the  bank.  They  passed  the  spot  a 
number  of  times  while  life  remained  in  the  child;  but  they 
found  her  too  late.  Word  was  immediately  sent  to  Mr.  Spald- 
ing, who,  with  his  wife  and  Mr.  Hall,  came  to  Dr.  Whitman's 
as  soon  as  possible. 

Mr.  Spalding  says:  ''Our  brother  and  sister  appear  to  be 
remarkably  reconciled  to  the  afflictive  Providence  which  has 
removed  from  them  their  dearest  earthly  treasure.  Her  par- 
ents feel  that  their  sins  have  made  it  necessary  for  their  Heav- 

was  of  Idaho.  Mr.  Hall  remained  in  the  country  until  1840,  when  he 
returned  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  By  that  time  he  had  taught 
Messrs.  Spalding  and  Rogers  the  art  of  printing  so  well  that  they 
carried  it  on  with  the  help  of  some  of  the  Indians.  In  1S44  M.  G. 
Foley,  an  emigrant  of  that  year,  was  employed  to  take  charge  of  it, 
and  his  name  appears  as  printer  on  some  of  the  booklets.  In  1846, 
six  persons  in  Salem,  Oregon,  wished  to  publish  a  paper:  Daniel 
Leslie,  Joseph  Holman,  W.  H.  Wilson,  J.  B.  McClaine  and  Messrs. 
Robinson  and  Judson.  They  sent  A.  Hinman  to  see  if  the  mission 
press  could  be  obtained.  Having  interviewed  all  the  missionaries,  he 
obtained  it  on  certain  conditions,  and  packed  it  on  horseback  to  The 
Dalles.  The  conditions  were  such,  however,  that  the  company  de- 
clined to  accept  them,  and  the  press  remained  at  The  Dalles  until 
ifter  the  Whitman  massacre,  when,  with  the  consent  of  Mr.  Spalding, 
Rev.  J.  S.  Griffin  took  it  to  his  home  near  Hillsboro,  and  printed  on 
it  eight  numbers  of  the  "Oregon  American  and  Evangelical  Unionist." 
It  remained  with  Mr.  Griffin  for  a  score  or  so  of  years,  when  it  was 
taken  to  Salem  and  deposited  in  the  State  Historical  Rooms.  After- 
wards the  Oregon  Historical  Society  obtained  it,  and  removed  it  to 
their  rooms  for  historical  relics  at  Portland,  where  it  now  rests.  It 
has  not  been  used  since  about   1849. 


108  Marcus  Whitman 

enly  Parent  thus  sorely  to  afflict  them.  Mrs.  Whitman  very 
humbly  remarked,  'It  has  been  a  great  pleasure  to  take  care 
of  our  little  one  thus  far,  and  I  can  cheerfully  give  her  up.' " 
She  was  buried  on  the  27th,  Mr.  Pambrun  of  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
and  a  few  domestics  being  present.  Mr.  Spalding  preached  the 
sermon  from  II.  Kings  iv:26.  "She  is  the  first  of  our  num- 
ber," he  said,  "to  find  a  grave  in  these  dark  regions."  He  and 
his  wife  remained  at  Waiilatpu  for  a  week,  after  which  the 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Whitman  went  home  with  them  for  a  short 
time. 

The  missionaries  were  not  angels,  but  human  beings,  and 
there  was  considerable  trouble  between  some  of  them  about 
this  time,  especially  between  Messrs.  Gray,  Spalding,  Whitman 
and  Smith.  On  account  of  this  Dr.  Whitman  had  concluded 
to  leave  the  mission  and  take  the  consequences ;  but  the  read- 
ing of  Henry  on  "Meekness"  checked  him,  and  the  death  of 
Alice  completely  broke  down  all  his  hard  feelings.  Thus  the 
affliction  was  so  overruled  that  it  played  no  unimportant  part 
in  keeping  the  Doctor  in  the  mission,  and  consequently  in  the 
performance  of  his  subsequent  great  life-work. 

In  regard  to  this  event  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote  that  on  that 
morning,  at  family  prayers,  Alice  had  chosen  for  the  hymn 
to  be  sung,  "Rock  of  Ages,"  which  was  a  favorite  of  hers.  It 
being  the  Sabbath,  it  was  sung  again  at  the  services  at  noon. 
She  sang  it  with  great  clearness  and  with  such  ecstacy  as  al- 
most to  lift  her  out  of  her  chair.  "And  no  wonder,"  says  her 
mother,  "for  what  words  could  be  more  appropriate  to  her  than 
those : 

'While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath. 

When  my  eyelids  close  in  death, 

When  I  rise  to  worlds  unknown, 

And  behold  Thee  on  Thy  throne, 

Rock  of  Ages !  cleft  for  me 

Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee.'  " 

Her  mother  added,  "That  we  loved  her  most  ardently  is 
true,  and  it  is  no  less  true  that  we  feel  keenly  the  severe  pangs 
of  a  separation  from  her,  who  was  so  much  the  joy  and  comfort 
of  our  hearts  in  our  lonely  situation,  yet  it  is  the  Lord  that 


Mission  Work  109 

hath  done  it  and  He  hath  dealt  with  us  as  a  tender  parent  deals 
with  the  children  whom  he  loves.  O,  how  often  have  I  felt 
and  thought  what  a  privilege  it  would  he,  if  I  could  see  and 
unburden  to  iny  dear  parents  the  sorrows  of  my  broken  and 
bleeding  heart,  since  we  have  been  bereft  of  our  dear,  sweet 
babe.  Although  deprived  of  this  inestimable  consolation,  yet, 
dearest  father,  I  desire  to  ask  you  to  unite  with  us  in  praise 
and  gratitude  to  God,  that  He  has  so  mercifully  sustained  me, 
and  that  when  crushed  to  the  earth,  because  His  hand  lay 
heavily  upon  me,  His  grace  was  manifest  to  preserve  and  sus- 
tain my  soul  from  murmuring  or  repining  at  His  dealings  with 
us.  This  unspeakable  consolation  is  ours,  and  our  daughter 
is  at  rest  in  the  bosom  of  Him  who  said,  'Suffer  little  children 
to  come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.'  We 
rejoice,  too,  that  we  have  been  permitted  to  become  parents, 
and  that  she  has  been  spared  to  us  as  long  as  she  was,  and 
for  the  pleasure  we  had  of  witnessing  the  development  of  her 
ardent,  active  mind. 

"On  what  a  tender  thread  hang  these  mortal  frames,  and 
how  soon  we. vanish  and  are  gone.  She  will  not  come  to  me, 
but  I  shall  soon  go  to  her.  You  know  not,  neither  can  I  tell 
you,  how  much  He  comforts  and  sustains  me  in  this  trying 
moment.  He  enables  me  to  say,  "The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away;  blessed,  ever  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord.' " 

The  arrival  of  Catholic  missionaries  about  this  time  was  a 
source  of  trial  to  Dr.  Whitman.  The  first  were  Vicar  General 
P.  N.  Blanchet  and  Rev.  M.  Demers,  who  reached  Fort  Walla 
Walla  November  18th,  1838.  They  remained  at  first  but  one 
day,  celebrating  mass  and  baptising  three  persons.  As  this 
was  the  nearest  that  these  priests  came  to  any  of  the  mission 
stations  of  the  American  Board,  it  was  not  strange  that  Dr. 
Whitman  was  more  affected  than  the  other  missionaries.  Mr. 
P.  C.  Pambrun,  then  in  charge  of  the  Fort,  was  a  Catholic, 
and  although  his  family  were  at  Vancouver,  yet  his  three  girls 
and  wife  were  baptized  there  in  December,  and  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pambrun  was  blessed  on  the  same  day  by  the 
priest.  WThile  Mr.  Pambrun  was  personally  very  kind  to  the 
Whitmans,  yet  Mrs.  Whitman  says  that  he  secured  the  baptism 


1  1  0  Marcus  Whitman 

of  one  of  the  principal  Cayuses,  and  acted  upon  his  band, 
keeping  many  away  who  would  gladly  have  come  to  them.  In 
1841  he  was  accidentally  injured  by  a  horse  and  died.  His 
place  was  then  filled  by  Archibald  McKinley,  a  Scotch  Presby- 
terian, and  a  very  true  friend  to  the  Whitmans. 

Both  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  missionaries  of  that  day 
agree  in  saying  that  the  object  of  the  Catholics  at  that  time 
was  to  draw  the  minds  of  the  Indians  away  from  the  Protes- 
tant missionaries.  In  October,  1839,  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote: 
"A  Catholic  priest  has  recently  been  at  Walla  Walla,  and  held 
meetings  with  the  Indians,  and  used  their  influence  to  draw  all 
the  people  away  from  us.  Some  they  have  forbidden  to  visit 
us  again,  and  fill  all  of  their  minds  with  distraction  about  the 
truths  we  teach  and  their  own  doctrines;  say  we  have  been 
talking  about  their  bad  hearts  long  enough,  and  too  long,  say 
we  ought  to  have  baptized  them  long  ago,  etc.,  etc.  The  con- 
flict has  begun;    what  trials  await  us  we  know  not." 

Still  there  was  some  encouragement.  In  October,  1839, 
Mrs.  Whitman  wrote,  "We  never  had  greater  encouragement 
about  the  Indians  than  at  the  present  time."  The  Cayuses 
became  much  interested  in  the  books  printed  in  their  language, 
and  that  was  an  incentive  to  them  to  attend  the  school,  so  that 
in  the  same  month  the  Doctor  wrote  that  the  school  had  aver- 
aged sixty  or  eighty  scholars  for  a  month. 

The  following  incident,  of  which  the  Doctor  wrote,  which 
occurred  about  this  time,  was  one  of  the  encouraging  items  of 
his  life.  An  Indian  boy  lay  dying.  The  father  said  to  him, 
"You  are  dying  now,  do  you  know  it?"  He  replied,  "I  am  not 
dying ;  I  shall  always  live.  This  will  be  but  for  a  little  while, 
and  then  I  shall  always  live."  The  father  again  said,  "Do  you 
think?"  He  replied,  "Yes,  I  think."  "What  do  you  think 
about?"  was  the  question.  "About  Heaven.  I  love  God  more 
than  any  one  else,"  was  the  reply;  and  he  died  without  a 
struggle  or  groan,  like  going  to  sleep. 

In  1839  Eev.  J.  S.  Griffin,  Mr.  A.  Munger,  and  their  wives 
arrived  at  Dr.  Whitman's.  They  were  independent  mission- 
aries to  the  Indians,  not  being  under  any  missionary  society, 
but  intending  to  support  themselves.  Mr.  Griffin  and  his  wife 
soon  went  to  Mr.  Spalding's,  where  they  worked  during  the 


Mission  Work  1  1  1 

winter.  Afterwards,  having  tried  one  or  two  plans  for  work- 
ing- alone  among  the  Indians,  and  finding  them  impracticable, 
they  went  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  settled  near  Hillsboro,  and 
remained  there  as  long  as  they  lived,  both  dying  at  a  good 
old  age. 

Mr.  Munger  was  a  good  mechanic,  and  as  Dr.  Whitman 
was  needing  one,  he  remained  at  Waiilatpn  during  the  winter. 
Afterwards  he  became  partly  deranged,  and  it  was  thought 
best  for  him  to  return  East.  He  started  with  his  wife  and 
infant  child,  in  company  with  a  Hudson's  Bay  Company  party, 
in  1841.  When,  however,  they  reached  the  American  Rendez- 
vous on  Green  River,  they  found  no  representatives  of  the 
American  Fur  Company  there,  and  so  had  to  turn  back.  On 
the  way  he  became  worse,  and  burned  and  otherwise  injured 
himself  so  that  he  died.  Mrs.  Munger  then  went  to  the  Will- 
amette, married  Henry  Buxton,  Sr.,  and  lived  at  Forest  Grove 
for  many  years.  Another  person,  afterwards  well  known  in 
Oregon,  to  come  to  Dr.  Whitman's  that  year  was  William 
Geiger,  who,  with  a  Mr.  Johnson  from  New  York,  arrived  in 
August,  1839.  Mr.  Geiger  had  lived  in  Mrs.  Whitman's  town 
of  Angelica.  He  passed  on  to  the  Willamette,  but  came  back 
in  1812  and  had  charge  of  Dr.  Whitman's  station  during  the 
winter  of  1812-3,  while  the  Doctor  went  East.  He  was  there 
again  in  1S45  and  1810  as  teacher.  He  settled  at  Forest 
Grove,  Oregon. 

Another  person  to  arrive  was  Mr.  T.  J.  Farnham.  He  did 
not  remain  long  in  the  country,  but  was  quite  a  writer,  publish- 
ing two  books  about  his  travels  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  In  his 
Travels  Across  the  Great  Western  Prairies,  the  Anahuao  and 
Rocky  Mountains*  he  gives  the  following  account  of  his  arrival 
and  visit  at  Dr.  Whitman's,  which  is  here  given  both  because 
it  is  by  one  not  connected  with  the  mission,  and  because  it  is 
much  more  full  on  some  points  than  any  by  the  missionaries: 

'•September  23rd.  A  ride  of  five  miles  brought  us  in  sighl 
of  the  groves  around  the  mission.  We  crossed  the  river,  passed 
the  [ndian  encampment  hard  by,  and  were  al  the  gale  of  the 
mission  fields  in  presence  of  Dr.  Whitman.     He  was  speaking 

1  P.   147,  etc. 


I  1 2  Marcus  Whitman 

Skyuse  [Cayuse]  at  the  top  of  his  voice  to  some  lazy  Indians, 
who  were  driving  their  cattle  from  his  garden,  and  giving  or- 
ders to  others  to  yoke  the  oxen,  get  the  axes,  and  go  into  the 
forest  for  the  lower  sleepers  of  the  new  mission  house.  Mr. 
Hall,  printer  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  soon  appeared  in  work- 
ing dress,  with  his  ax  on  his  shoulder.  Next  came  Mr.  Munger, 
pulling  the  pine  shavings  from  his  plane.  All  seemed  desirous 
to  ask  me  how  long  a  balloon  line  had  been  running  between 
the  States  and  the  Pacific,  by  which  single  individuals  crossed 
the  Continent.1  The  oxen  were,  however,  yoked  and  axes  glis- 
tening in  the  sun,  and  no  time  to  spend,  if  they  would  return 
from  their  labor  before  nightfall,  so  that  the  whence  and  the 
wherefore  of  my  sudden  appearance  among  them  were  left  for 
an  after  explanation.  The  Doctor  introduced  me  to  his  ex- 
cellent lady  and  departed  to  his  labor. 

"The  afternoon  was  spent  in  listless  rest  from  the  toils  of 
my  journey.  At  sunset,  however,  I  strolled  out  and  took  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  plantation  and  plain  of  the  Walla  Walla. 
The  old  mission  house  stands  on  the  northeast  bank  of  the 
river,  about  four  rods  from  the  water  side,  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  an  enclosure  containing  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres,  two  hundred  of  which  are  under  good  cultivation.  The 
soil  is  a  thin  stratum  of  clay,  mixed  with  sand,  and  a  small 
proportion  of  vegetable  mold,  resting  on  a  base  of  coarse  gravel. 
Through  this  gravel  water  from  the  Walla  Walla  filtrates,  and 
by  capillary  attraction  is  raised  to  the  roots  of  vegetation  in 
the  incumbent  earth.  The  products  are  wheat,  Indian  corn, 
beans,  pumpkins,  Irish  potatoes,  etc.,  in  the  fields ;  and  beets, 
carrots,  onions,  turnips,  rutabagas,  water,  musk  and  nutmeg 
melons,  squashes,  asparagus,  tomatoes,  cucumbers,  peas,  etc., 
in  the  garden — all  of  good  quality  and  abundant  crops.  The 
Doctor  returned  near  night  with  his  timber,  and  appeared 
gratified  that  he  had  been  able  to  find  the  requisite  number  of 
sufficient  size  to  support  the  floor.  Tea  came  on  and  passed 
away  in  earnest  conversation  about  native  land,  and  friends 
left  there,  of  the  pleasures  they  derived  from  their  present  oc- 

1  Mr.  F.  had  come  the  last  part  of  the  way  alone,  except  as  he  had 
his  Indian  guide  and  the  guide's  family  for  company. 


Mission  Work  1  1  3 

cupation,  and  the  trials  that  befell  them  while  commencing 
the  mission,  and  afterwards. 

"The  morning  of  the  24th  opened  in  the  loveliest  hues  of 
the  sky.  When  the  smoking  vegetables,  the  hissing  steak, 
bread  white  as  snow,  and  the  newly  churned  butter,  graced 
the  table,  and  the  happy  countenances  of  countrymen  and 
countrywomen  shone  around,  I  could  with  difficulty  believe  my- 
self in  a  country  so  far  distant  from,  and  so  unlike  my  native 
land  and  all  its  features.  But  during  breakfast  this  pleasant 
illusion  was  dispelled  by  one  of  the  causes  which  induced  it. 
Our  steak  was  horseflesh!  On  such  meat  this  poor  family 
live  on  most  of  the  time.  It  enables  them  to  exist,  to  do  the 
Indians  good,  and  thus  satisfies  them.  But  can  it  satisfy  those 
who  give  money  for  the  missionaries  that  the  allowance  by 
their  agents  for  the  support  of  those  who  abandon  parents  and 
home,  and  surrender  themselves  not  only  to  the  mercy  of  the 
savages,  but  their  offspring  also,  and  should  be  so  meager  as  to 
compel  them  to  eat  horseflesh?  This  necessity  existed  in  1839 
at  Walla  Walla. 

"The  breakfast  being  over,  the  Doctor  invited  me  to  stroll 
over  his  premises.  The  garden  was  first  examined — its  loca- 
tion on  the  banks  of  the  Walla  Walla,  the  beautiful  tomato 
and  other  vegetables  burdening  the  grounds.  Next,  to  the 
fields.  The  Doctor's  views  of  the  soil  and  its  mode  of  receiving 
moisture  from  the  river  were  such  as  I  have  previously  ex- 
pressed. Then,  to  the  new  house.  The  adobe  walls  had  been 
erected  a  year.  It  was  about  40x120  feet,  and  one  and  a  half 
stories  high.  To  the  main  building  was  attached  another  of 
equal  height,  designed  for  a  kitchen,  with  chambers  above  de- 
signed for  servants.  Mr.  Munger  and  a  Sandwich  Islander 
were  laying  the  floors,  making  the  doors,  etc.  The  lumber 
was  a  very  superior  quality  of  yellow  pine  plank,  which  Dr. 
Whitman  had  cut  with  a  whip-saw  among  the  Blue  Mountains, 
fifteen  miles  distant.  Next,  to  the  'corral.'  A  fine  yoke  of 
oxen,  two  cows,  an  American  bull,  the  beginning  of  a  stock  of 
hogs,  were  thereabouts.  At  last,  to  the  grist-mill.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  spherical  wronght-iron  burr,  four  or  five  inches  in 
diameter,  surrounded  by  a  counterburred  surface  of  the  same 
materials.     The  spherical  bnrr  was  permanently  attached  to  a 


1  1  4  Marcus  Whitman 

shaft  of  a  horizontal  waterwheel.  The  surrounding  surface 
was  firmly  fastened  to  timbers  in  such  a  position  that  when 
the  water-wheel  was  put  in  motion  the  operation  of  the  mill 
was  similar  to  that  of  a  coffee  mill.  It  was  a  crazy  thing,  but 
for  it  the  Doctor  was  grateful.  It  would,  with  the  help  of  him- 
self and  an  Indian,  grind  enough  in  a  day  to  feed  his  family 
for  a  week,  and  that  was  better  than  to  beat  it  with  a  pestle 
and  a  mortar.  It  appeared  to  me  quite  remarkable  that  the 
Doctor  should  have  made  so  many  improvements  since  the 
year  1836;  but  the  industry  which  crowded  every  hour  of  the 
day,  his  untiring  energy  of  character,  and  the  very  efficient  aid 
of  his  wife  in  relieving  him  in  a  great  degree  from  the  labors 
of  the  school,  are  perhaps  circumstances  which  render  possi- 
bility probable,  that  in  three  years  one  man,  without  funds 
for  such  purposes,  without  other  aid  for  that  business  than  that 
of  a  fellow  missionary  for  short  intervals,  should  fence,  plow, 
build,  plant  an  orchard,  and  do  all  the  other  laborious  acts  of 
opening  a  plantation  on  the  face  of  that  distant  wilderness, 
learn  an  Indian  language,  and  do  the  duties,  meanwhile,  of 
physician  to  the  associate  stations  on  the  Clearwater  and  Spo- 
kane. In  the  afternoon  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  lady  assembled 
the  Indians  for  instruction  in  reading.  Forty  or  fifty  children 
between  the  ages  of  seven  and  eighteen,  and  several  older  peo- 
ple, gathered  on  the  shady  side  of  the  new  mission  house,  at 
the  ringing  of  a  hand  bell,  and  seated  themselves  in  an  orderly 
manner  on  ranges  of  wooden  benches.  The  Doctor  then  wrote 
monosyllables,  words,  and  instructive  sentences  on  a  large 
blackboard  suspended  on  a  wall,  and  proceeded  first  to  teach 
them  the  nature  and  power  of  the  letters,  in  representing  the 
simple  sounds  of  the  language,  and  then  the  construction  of 
words,  and  their  uses  in  forming  sentences  expressive  of 
thought.  The  sentences  written  during  these  operations  were 
at  last  read,  syllable  by  syllable,  and  word  after  word,  and  ex- 
plained, until  the  sentiments  contained  in  them  were  compre- 
hended. And  it  was  delightful  to  notice  the  undisguised  avid- 
ity with  which  these  people  would  devour  a  new  idea.  It 
seemed  to  produce  a  thrill  of  delight  that  kindled  up  the  coun- 
tenances, and  animated  the  whole  frame.  A  hymn  in  the  Nez 
Perce  language,  learned  by  rote  from  their  teachers,  was  then 


THE   PRINTING    PRESS 


Mission  Work  1  1  5 

sung,  and  the  exercises  closed  with  prayer  by  Dr.  Whitman 
in  the  same  tongue. 

"Twenty-fifth.  I  was  awakened  at  early  dawn  by  the  merry 
sounds  of  clapping  boards,  the  ax,  the  hammer,  and  the  plane 
— the  sweet  melodies  of  the  parent  of  virtue  at  the  cradle  of 
civilization.  When  I  rose,  everything  was  in  motion.  I  said 
everything  was  alive.  Not  so.  The  Skyuse  village  was  in 
the  deepest  slumber,  save  a  few  solitary  individuals,  who  were 
stalking  with  slow  and  stately  tread  up  a  neighboring  butte  to 
descry  the  retreat  of  their  animals.  Their  conical  skin  lodges 
dotted  the  valley  above  the  mission,  and  imparted  to  the  land- 
scape a  peculiar  wildness.  As  the  sun  rose,  the  inmates  began 
to  emerge  from  them. 

"This  is  the  imperial  tribe  of  Oregon.  They  are  also  a  tribe 
of  merchants  (often  doing  the  trading  between  the  Indians 
east  of  the  Blue  Mountains  and  those  towards  The  Dalles). 
They  own  large  numbers  of  horses.  A  Skyuse  is  thought  to  be 
poor  who  has  not  fifteen  or  twenty  of  them.  One  fat,  hearty 
old  fellow  owns  something  over  two  thousand,  all  wild  except 
so  many  as  he  needs  for  use  or  sale. 

"Twenty-seventh.  I  attended  the  Indian  school  today.  Mrs. 
Whitman  is  an  indefatigable  instructress.  The  children  read 
in  monosyllables  from  a  primer  lately  published  at  the  Clear- 
water station.  They  afterwards  sung.  They  learn  music 
readily.  At  nightfall  I  visited  the  Indian  lodges  in  company 
with  Dr.  Whitman.  The  Skyuse  have  two  distinct  languages 
— the  one  used  in  ordinarv  intercourse,  the  other  on  extraor- 

at 

dinary  occasions,  as  in  war,  councils,  etc.  Both  are  said  to  be 
copious  and  expressive.  They  also  speak  the  Nez  Perce  and 
Walla  Walla. 

"The  course  pursued  by  Dr.  Whitman  and  the  other  Pres- 
byterian missionaries  to  improve  the  Indians  is  to  teach  them 
the  Nez  Perce  language,  according  to  fixed  grammatical  rules, 
for  the  purpose  of  opening  to  them  the  arts  and  religion  of 
civilized  nations  through  the  medium  of  books.  They  also 
teach  them  practical  agriculture  and  the  useful  arts  for  the 
purpose  of  civilizing  their  physical  condition.  By  these  menus 
they  hope  to  make  them  a  better  and  happier  people. 

"This  was  the  evening  before  the  Sabbath,  and  Dr.  Whit- 


1  1  6  Marcus  Whitman 

man,  as  his  custom  was,  invited  one  of  the  most  intelligent  In- 
dians into  his  study,  translated  to  him  the  text  of  Scripture, 
from  which  he  intended  to  teach  the  tribe  on  the  morrow,  ex- 
plained to  him  its  doctrines,  and  required  of  him  to  explain  in 
return.  This  was  repeated  again  and  again,  until  the  Indian 
obtained  a  clear  understanding  of  its  doctrines. 

"The  29th  was  the  Sabbath.  At  10  o'clock  the  Skyuse  as- 
sembled for  worship  in  the  open  air.  The  exercises  were  ac- 
cording to  the  Presbyterian  form — the  hymn,  the  prayer,  the 
hymn,  the  sermon,  the  hymn,  and  the  blessing,  all  in  the  Nez 
Perce  tongue.  The  principal  peculiarity  about  the  exercises 
was  the  mode  of  delivering  the  discourse.  When  Dr.  Whitman 
arose  and  announced  the  text,  the  Indian,  who  had  been  in- 
structed on  the  previous  night,  rose  and  repeated  it,  and  as 
the  address  proceeded,  repeated  it  also,  by  sentence  or  para- 
graph, till  it  was  finished.  This  is  the  custom  of  the  Skyuse 
in  all  their  public  speaking;  and  the  benefit  resulting  from  it, 
in  this  case,  apparently,  was  giving  the  doctrines  which  the 
Doctor  desired  to  inculcate  a  clearer  expression  in  the  proper 
idiom  of  the  language.  During  the  recess  the  children  assem- 
bled in  the  Sabbath-school.  In  the  afternoon  the  service  was 
similar  to  that  of  the  morning.  Everything  was  conducted 
with  much  solemnity.  After  the  service  the  Indians  gathered 
in  their  lodges  and  conversed  together  concerning  what  they 
had  heard.  If  doubt  arose  as  to  any  point,  it  was  solved  by 
the  instructed  Indian.  Thus  passed  the  Sabbath  among  the 
Skyuse." 

Mr.  Farnham  had  belonged  to  what  was  called  the  "Peoria 
Party,"  organized  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  in  the  spring  of  1839, 
largely  because  of  the  lectures  and  influence  of  Rev.  Jason  Lee 
of  the  Methodist  mission,  who  had  returned  in  1838  for  more 
help.  It  was  originally  composed  of  nineteen  men,  none  of 
whom  knew  anything  of  mountain  life.  Their  avowed  object 
was  to  take  possession  of  Oregon  for  the  United  States,  and 
they  carried  a  flag,  given  them  by  Mrs.  Farnham,  on  which 
was  the  motto,  "Oregon  or  the  Grave."  When  asked  if  they 
thought  their  party  sufficient  to  drive  out  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  their  Captain,  Mr.  Farnham,  replied,  "O,  yes, 
plenty."    They  did  not,  however,  get  along  well  together:  seven 


Mission  Work  1  1  7 

returned  to  Peoria.  The  rest  became  demoralized,  and  divided. 
A  few  reached  Oregon  that  year,  others  wintered  in  the  moun- 
tains and  finished  their  journey  the  next  year.  Among  them 
was  Robert  Shortess,  who  wintered  at  Dr.  Whitman's  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  Columbia  the  next  March.  In  his  account  of 
the  party,  he  speaks  quite  favorably  of  Dr.  Whitman's  mission 
and  the  few  Indians  there.1 

Mr.  Farnham  in  this  account  refers  to  the  eating  of  horse- 
flesh. During  all  the  earlier  years  of  the  mission  cattle  were 
altogether  too  scarce  and  too  valuable  to  use  for  food.  The 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  all  there  were  in  the  country,  ex- 
cept those  owned  by  the  missions,  and  that  Company  would 
not  sell  any.  The  missionaries  wished  to  get  enough  cattle  for 
their  own  use,  and  also  enough  to  begin  small  bands  for  the 
Indians :  hence  they  seldom,  if  ever,  at  first,  killed  them  for 
food,  and  so  horseflesh  was  a  common  article  of  food.  The 
horses,  however,  used  for  this  purpose  were  not  those  which 
were  old  and  worn  out  and  good  for  nothing  else;  but  as 
horses  were  very  abundant,  they  used  the  best  there  were, 
fattened  on  the  rich  bunch  grass  of  the  region,  and  not 
as  unpalatable  as  some  might  suppose.  It  is  said  that  at  one 
time,  after  cattle  became  so  abundant  that  beef  was  occasion- 
ally used,  there  was  company  at  the  Doctor's,  one  man  of 
\t  horn  said  he  would  never  eat  horseflesh ;  he  would  go  with- 
out meat  rather  than  do  it.  At  meal  time  the  Doctor  said: 
"Gentlemen,  there  are  two  kinds  of  meat  on  the  table — beef 
and  horseflesh.  I  shall  not  help  you  to  either,  but  you  may 
help  yourselves,  and  we  will  see  whether  you  can  tell  the  dif- 
ference." They  looked  at  both  carefully,  helped  themselves, 
and  when  they  had  finished  that  man  was  quietly  told  that  he 
had  eaten  the  horseflesh  and  left  the  beef. 

In  1837  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote  that  they  had  bought  and 
killed  ten  wild  horses  of  the  Indians  as  a  supply  for  their  men 
and  visitors,  but  she  added  in  the  letter  to  her  friends,  "This 
will  make  you  pity  us,  but  you  had  better  save  your  pity  for 
more  worthy  subjects.  I  do  not  prefer  it  to  other  meat,  but 
can  eat  it  very  well  when  we  have  nothing  else." 

1  For  a  full  account  of  this  party  see  "Oregon  Pioneer  Transac- 
tions," 1896,  p.  92. 


1  1  8  Marcus  Whitman 

In  1838  the  first  cow  used  for  beef  east  of  the  Cascades  was 
killed.  She  was  twenty  years  old,  without  a  tooth  in  her  head, 
and  belonged  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Being  useless  to 
keep  longer,  she  was  beefed  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  and  a  part 
was  sent  to  Dr.  Whitman's  station. 

In  October,  1841,  horse-meat  went  out  of  use  there.  Seven 
hogs  were  killed  that  fall  at  Dr.  Whitman's,  also  a  beef  fed  on 
grass,  which  yielded  a  hundred  and  forty-eight  pounds  of  tal- 
low after  it  was  tried  out.  Mrs.  Whitman  then  wrote,  "We  do 
not  need  to  kill  any  more  horses  for  meat." 

Returning  now  to  the  missionary  work,  we  find  that  the 
next  winter  there  were  but  few  Indians  at  the  station,  they 
being  absent  for  food,  but  they  returned  in  the  spring  so  as  to 
plant  their  crops.  The  interest  in  agriculture  seemed  to  in- 
crease. They  wished  to  buy  hoes  and  plows  for  themselves, 
and  they  seemed  to  feel  that  they  cultivated  the  land  for  their 
own  benefit,  and  not  to  please  the  Doctor  as  they  had  previ- 
ously done.  The  school  during  that  winter  numbered  ten  schol- 
ars, and  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Whitman ;  but  as  the  Indians  re- 
turned it  increased  to  forty  or  fifty.  A  new  book,  just  printed, 
of  fifty-two  pages,  larger  and  more  correct  than  the  first  one, 
made  a  fine  addition  to  their  means  of  instruction. 

The  following  winter  (1840-41)  the  Doctor  and  his  family 
were  much  afflicted  with  sickness,  and  consequently  were  able 
to  do  but  little  for  the  Indians.  The  Doctor,  however,  held  the 
usual  Sabbath  services,  except  when  he  was  sick  abed,  and 
then  Mr.  Gray  supplied  his  place.  The  Indians  were  very  quiet, 
having  settled  some  important  difficulties  among  themselves ; 
a  troublesome  chief,  Cutlip,  died,  and  the  rest  appeared  better 
disposed  than  ever  toward  the  mission  work.  The  demand  for 
plows  was  greater  than  the  supply,  and  the  interest  in  farming 
increased. 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother,  dated  May,  1841,  the  Doctor  gives 
the  following  account  of  his  labors  and  sickness :  "My  labor 
was  excessive  last  fall,  after  the  death  of  our  dear  Joseph.  At 
the  same  time  I  was  called  suddenly  to  go  to  Mr.  Smith's  sta- 
tion, which  I  did,  without  sufficient  precaution  for  my  health. 
After  I  got  home,  we  had  much  to  do  to  prepare  for  winter, 
and,  winter  approaching,  we  had  much  to  do  to  prepare  a  race 


Mission  Work  1  1 9 

for  our  mill,  at  which  I  worked  very  hard.  By  these  several 
causes  I  was  reduced  to  the  same  affliction  of  which  I  com- 
plained before  I  left  the  United  States. 

"After  taking  medicine  for  two  weeks,  and  feeling  some- 
what relieved,  I  was  called  to  see  a  sick  man  at  Walla  Walla, 
twenty-five  miles  distant.  Mrs.  Whitman  went  with  me.  We 
stayed  two  nights.  In  the  morning  we  found  that  the  water 
had  risen,  so  that  on  returning  it  was  most  difficult  to  cross. 
Mrs.  Whitman  was  on  a  strong  horse,  and,  by  having  her  saddle 
set  up  high,  and  putting  on  my  boots,  she  came  across  safely. 
Unfortunately,  I  chose  a  tall  but  weak  horse,  and  set  myself 
with  both  feet  on  one  side  of  the  horse,  to  try  and  keep  out  of 
the  water.  But  in  crossing  the  beast  rolled  and  tumbled  until 
she  threw  me  into  the  water,  and  I  had  to  swim  some  rods  to 
the  shore.  I  had  on  a  great  many  clothes  to  keep  me  from  ex- 
posure, as  I  had  been  taking  blue  pills  for  nearly  three  weeks. 
It  was  the  last  of  December.  Some  Indians,  in  passing  at  the 
same  time,  were  there  and  had  a  fire,  and  rendered  us  very  im- 
portant assistance.  We  were  yet  twelve  miles  from  home,  but 
by  means  of  two  blankets,  which  we  had  kept  dry,  I  was  en- 
abled to  wrap  up  and  keep  comfortable,  while  my  clothes  were 
so  far  dried  as  to  enable  me  to  come  back  by  substituting  a 
blanket  for  my  overcoat.  But  the  second  day  after  I  found 
myself  so  much  worse  that  I  was  obliged  to  be  bled,  and  for 
some  weeks  I  kept  my  bed  and  room,  and  from  that  time  to 
this  I  have  not  recovered,  nor  do  I  ever  expect  fully  to  do  so. 
I  am,  however,  now  in  comfortable  health,  but  unfit  for  bodily 
labor.  I  have  no  idea  that  you  know  how  hard  r  have  worked 
in  this  country,  besides  all  my  care,  both  of  my  family  and  the 
Indians,  and  the  labor  of  acquiring  the  language  and  teaching 
the  people  and  going  a1  the  calls  of  the  mission." 

The  following  item  from  a  letter  of  March,  1841,  shows 
plainly  Mrs.  Whitman's  feelings  about  herself:  "Of  all  per- 
sons, I  see  myself  to  be  the  most  unfit  for  the  place  I  occupy 
on  heathen  ground.  I  wonder  that  I  was  ever  permitted  to 
come;  not  that  I  would  shrink  from  anything  the  Lord  would 
call  me  to  endure,  but  that  I  am  unworthy  of  a  place  or  a  name 
among  His  chosen  people,  especially  ITis  dear  missionaries." 

The  Joseph   mentioned   in   the  Doctor's  letter  was  a    Ha- 


120  Marcus  Whitman 

waiian  who  had  been  with  the  Doctor  some  years,  and  was  one 
of  the  original  members  of  the  church.  He  was  very  faithful ; 
the  Doctor  depended  much  on  him,  and  felt  his  loss  greatly. 
He  died  August  8,  1840.  Mrs.  Whitman  says  of  him:  "Our 
loss  is  very  great.  He  was  so  faithful  and  kind ;  always  anx- 
ious and  ready  to  relieve  us  of  every  care,  so  that  we  might 
give  ourselves  to  our  appropriate  missionary  work,  increasingly 
so  to  the  last.  He  died  as  a  faithful  Christian  missionary 
dies — happy  to  die  in  the  field — rejoiced  that  he  was  permitted 
to  come  and  labor  for  the  good  of  the  Indians,  while  his  heart 
was  in  Heaven  all  the  time.  Who  that  could  witness  him  in 
his  dying  moments  and  see  the  calm  and  sweet  serenity  of  his 
countenance,  but  would  feel  it  to  be  a  privilege  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary and  be  the  means  of  saving  one  sueh  soul  from  the 
midst  of  a  heathen  darkness.  His  wife  is  just  as  faithful, 
but  she  is  a  feeble  person.  I  know  not  how  we  could  do  with- 
out her."  She,  however,  returned  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  in 
1841  with  Rev.  A.  B.  Smith. 

In  1840  Rev.  Harvey  Clark  and  Messrs.  P.  B.  Littlejohn, 
Alvin  T.  Smith  and  their  wives  arrived  at  Dr.  Whitman's  and 
stayed  for  a  while.  They  also  came  as  independent  mission- 
aries to  the  Indians,  but  found  it  impracticable.  Mr.  Clark 
settled  at  Forest  Grove,  in  Oregon,  where  he  organized  a  Con- 
gregational Church,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  Tualatin  Acad- 
emy and  Pacific  University.     He  died  there  March  25,  1858. 

Mr.  Smith  went  to  Mr.  Spalding's  and  worked  for  a  time, 
but  afterwards  settled  at  Forest  Grove,  where  he  was  known 
as  a. firm,  upright  Christian,  and  where  he  died  at  a  good  old 
age. 

This  company  remained  at  Dr.  Whitman's  at  least  two 
months,  and  their  society  was  appreciated.  Mrs.  Whitman 
wished  that  Mr.  Clark  had  been  connected  with  the  mission 
of  the  American  Board,  for  she  felt  that  he  would  have  been 
a  very  valuable  acquisition,  but  under  their  instructions  from 
the  Board  it  could  not  be. 

That  fall  these  three  couples,  besides  Mr.  Griffin,  Mr.  Mun- 
ger,  Mr.  Gray  and  their  wives,  were  all  at  the  Doctor's  at  one 
time,  making  two  houses  full.  In  regard  to  this  plan  of 
independent  missionaries,  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote:      "We  wish 


Mission  Work  121 

that  they  had  come  out  under  the  Board,  both  for  our  sakes, 
theirs,  and  the  mission  cause.  We  fear  they  will  suffer.  At 
any  rate,  they  cannot  do  anything  at  present,  and  for  a  good 
while  to  come,  of  missionary  work,  but  take  care  of  themselves. 
We  hope  no  more  will  come  in  this  way.  Those  who  came  last 
year  got  themselves  into  difficulties  when  they  started;  it  in- 
creased all  the  way,  and  they  still  are  not  reconciled,  and  we 
fear  never  will  be.  They  are  living  upon  us ;  have  done  noth- 
ing yet,  but  explore  a  little,  and  appear  to  know  not  what  to  do, 
but  rather  die  than  to  give  up  their  plans  and  say  to  the 
Christian  world,  'It  is  wrong  to  go  out  in  opposition  to  the 
Board.' " 

The  housekeeping  arrangements  were  for  a  long  time  a  trial. 
Even  as  late  as  1840  the  Whitmans  were  living  in  the  house 
they  first  built,  which  was  very  open.  It  was  of  adobes,  or 
sun  burnt  brick.  They  began  a  new  one  in  1S38,  but  were  not 
able  to  finish  it  so  as  to  move  into  it  until  1810,  after  Mr. 
Munger  came  to  help  them.  There  was  no  good  wood  for 
boards  nearer  than  the  Blue  Mountains,  about  fifteen  miles 
away,  and  no  wagons,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  drag  some 
of  the  timber  on  sleds  that  distance,  and  then  saw  them  with 
pit-saws.  At  other  times  they  sawed  them  in  the  mountains 
and  packed  the  boards  on  horses  to  the  station.  For  tables, 
bedsteads  and  the  like,  they  used  the  alder  which  grew  near 
home.  For  lime  to  whitewash  the  adobes  they  burned  fresh 
water  clam  shells.  It  was  a  great  relief  for  them  when  the 
house  was  finished,  to  move  where  they  could  have  a  room  or 
two  to  themselves,  after  living  thus  for  four  years,  where  Mrs. 
Whitman  had  to  do  her  cooking  generally  in  the  presence  of 
the  Indians,  who  would  come  in  whenever  thev  wished.  To 
clean  after  them  was  also  a  great  trial  both  to  her  feelings  and 
also  to  her  strength,  but  she  felt  that  she  must  do  it,  for  they 
had  come  to  elevate  the  Indians,  and  not  to  sink  down  to  a 
level  with  them.  A  cook  stove  received  in  1812  is  spoken  of  as 
a  great  comfort  and  help. 

During  1841  there  was  much  trouble  with  the  Indians, 
who  demanded  the  right  to  go  into  any  room  they  pleased,  to 
have  pay  for  the  use  of  their  lands,  lo  have  Dr.  Whitman  leach 
them  that  part  of  the  Bible  which  I  hey  wanted  to  hear  and  not 


122  Marcus  Whitman 

what  he  thought  best  (for  they  did  not  like  to  hear  about  their 
sins),  to  turn  their  horses  into  his  gardens  and  corn  held,  and 
the  like,  but  as  all  this  may  have  some  reference  to  his  death, 
it  will  be  reserved  for  a  separate  chapter.  Yet,  notwithstand- 
ing all  these  difficulties,  there  was  not  a  word  of  murmuring 
or  complaint  or  a  desire  to  return  East,  even  on  a  visit.  In 
1840  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote:  "Our  united  choice  would  be  to 
live  and  die  here,  to  spend  our  lives  for  the  salvation  of  this 
people.  We  have  ever  been  contented  and  happy,  notwith- 
standing all  our  trials,  and  let  come  what  will,  we  had  rather 
die  in  the  battle  than  to  retreat,  if  the  Lord  will  only  appear 
for  us,  and  remove  all  that  is  in  the  way  of  His  salvation,  take 
up  every  stumbling  block  out  of  our  hearts  and  from  this  mis- 
sion, and  prosper  His  own  cause  here.  Our  ardent  prayer  is, 
'Lord,  let  not  this  mission  fail,'  for  our  Board  says  it  is  the 
last  effort  they  will  make  for  the  poor  Indians." 

We  will  now  take  another  view  of  Dr.  Whitman's  mission, 
as  it  was  seen  by  Mr.  Joseph  Drayton,  of  Commodore  Wilkes' 
exploring  squadron,  which  visited  the  Coast  in  1841.  He  and 
his  companions  reached  the  place  about  dark,  and  were  wel- 
comed by  Dr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray.  This  account 
says  that  there  were  two  houses  built  of  adobes  to  insure  cooler 
habitation  in  summer. 

"All  the  premises  looked  comfortable.  They  have  a  fine 
kitchen  garden,  in  which  grow  all  the  vegetables  raised  in  the 
United  States,  and  several  kinds  of  fine  melons.  The  wheat — 
some  of  which  stood  seven  feet  high — was  in  full  head  and 
nearly  ripe.  Indian  corn  was  in  tassel,  and  some  of  it  meas- 
ured nine  feet  in  height.  They  will  reap  this  year  about  three 
hundred  bushels  of  wheat,  with  a  quantity  of  corn  and  pota- 
toes. The  missionaries  live  quite  comfortably  and  seem  con- 
tented. They  are,  however,  not  free  from  apprehensions  of 
Indian  depredations.  Dr.  Whitman,  being  an  unusually  large 
and  athletic  man,  is  held  in  much  respect  by  the  Indians,  and 
they  have  made  use  of  his  services  as  a  physician,  which  does 
not  seem  to  carry  with  it  so  much  danger  here  as  among  the 
tribes  of  the  lower  country,  or  farther  north.  The  mission- 
aries have  quite  a  number  of  cattle  and  horses,  which  require 
little  or  no  attention.      As  respects  missionary  success,  it  is 


Mission  Work  123 

very  small  here.  The  Indians  are  disposed  to  wander,  and 
seldom  continue  more  than  three  or  four  months  in  the  same 
place.  After  they  return  from  the  Grand  Ronde,  which  is  in 
July,  they  remain  for  three  or  four  months,  and  then  move  off 
to  the  north  and  east  to  hunt  buffalo.  Dr.  Whitman  has  124 
on  his  rolls,  male  and  female,  that  receive  instruction  in  the 
course  of  the  year.  He  preaches  to  them  on  the  Sabbath  when 
they  are  on  the  Walla  Walla  River.  The  school  consists  of 
about  twenty-five  scholars  daily,  and  there  is  some  little  dispo- 
sition to  improve  in  these  Indians.  The  great  aim  of  the 
missionaries  is  to  teach  them  that  they  may  obtain  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  food  by  cultivating  the  ground.  Many  families 
have  now  patches  of  wheat,  corn  and  potatoes  growing  well, 
and  a  number  of  these  are  to  be  seen  near  the  missionary  farm. 
The  Indians  have  learned  the  necessity  of  irrigating  their  crops 
by  finding  that  Dr.  Whitman's  succeeded  better  than  their 
own.  They  therefore  desired  to  take  some  of  the  water  from 
his  trenches,  instead  of  making  new  ones  of  their  own,  which 
he  very  naturally  refused.  They  then  stopped  up  the  Doctor's. 
This  had  well-nigh  produced  much  difficulty,  but  finally  they 
were  made  to  understand  that  there  was  water  enough  for 
both,  and  they  now  use  it  with  as  much  success  as  the  mis- 
sionaries." 

At  the  other  stations  of  the  mission  the  work  was  carried 
on  with  varying  success.  At  Tshimakain,  where  Messrs. 
Walker  and  Eells  labored,  there  was  a  school  most  of  the 
time  and  regular  preaching.  At  first  the  Indians  were  quite 
enthusiastic,  but  as  the  novelty  wore  off,  the  work  became  more 
difficult.  The  Spokane  Indians  were  by  no  means  as  intelli- 
gent and  enterprising  as  the  Nez  Perces  and  Cayuses,  and  the 
work  during  the  lifetime  of  the  mission  was  never  as  encour- 
aging as  that  among  the  other  tribes,  but  it  was  quite  deep 
and  in  the  end  brought  forth  excellent  results.  At  Kamiah, 
among  the  Nez  Perces,  where  Mr.  Smith  and  his  wife  had 
gone,  there  had  been  some  troubles,  mainly  about  land  in  1840, 
so  that  Mr.  Spalding  and  Dr.  Whitman  had  been  called  to  go 
there  to  assist  in  settling  them,  but  before  they  arrived  all 
had  been  peaceably  settled.  ITowever,  in  the  spring  of  1842 
Mr.  Smith  found  his  own  health  somewhat  impaired  and  thai 


124  Marcus  Whitman 

of  Mrs.  Smith  alarmingly  so,  and  they  felt  it  best  to  leave  the 
place  and  go  to  the  genial  climate  of  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
This  they  did  in  1841,  and  the  station  was  not  afterwards  oc- 
cupied by  any  missionaries  of  the  American  Board. 

At  Mr.  Spalding's  there  was  more  successful  work  than  at 
any  other  of  the  stations.  The  Indians  took  great  interest  in 
agriculture,  the  school,  and  religion.  Two  protracted  meet- 
ings were  held  among  them,  one  in  the  winter  of  1838-9,  and 
the  other  during  that  of  1841-2.  Thousands  attended  these, 
and  here  in  November,  1839,  the  first  two  Indians  joined  the 
mission  church,  Timothy  and  Joseph.  The  former  was  ever 
noted  as  a  friend  to  the  whites  and  one  who  clung  to  his  re- 
ligion, even  when  all  teachers  had  been  driven  away;  but  the 
latter  turned  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  of  Dr.  Whitman, 
pillaged  Mr.  Spalding's  house,  and  was  the  father  of  the  young 
Joseph  who  became  renowned  as  the  leader  in  the  war  against 
the  whites  in  1877.  There  were  discouragements  here,  how- 
ever, so  that  both  Mr.  Spalding  and  his  wife  were  insulted,  his 
mill  dam  was  torn  away,  and  the  gate  at  the  head  of  his  ditch 
was  carried  away. 

In  1841  Mr.  Rogers  resigned  his  connection  with  the  mis- 
sion and  went  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  and  in  1842  Mr.  Gray 
and  family  followed  him,  thus  leaving  three  stations,  with  four 
men  and  their  wives  to  manage  them.  Two  missionaries,  how- 
ever, had  been  sent  from  the  East  by  the  Board  to  join  the 
mission  in  November,  1840,  Rev.  J.  D.  Paris  and  Mr.  W.  H. 
Rice,  with  their  wives.  These  started  by  water  and  reached  the 
Sandwich  Islands  in  May,  1841. 

The  Methodist  missions  in  the  Willamette  received  three 
reinforcements  by  way  of  Cape  Horn.  The  first  arrived  in 
May,  1837,  and  consisted  of  Dr.  E.  White,  A.  Beers,  and  their 
wives,  W.  H.  Wilson,  Miss  Susan  Downing,  Miss  Elvira  John- 
son and  Miss  Ann  M.  Pitman.  Of  these  Miss  Pitman  was  mar- 
ried to  Rev.  Jason  Lee  and  Miss  Downing  to  Cyrus  Shepherd 
July  16th,  1837,  the  first  white  marriages  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 
Mrs.  Lee  died  July  16th,  1838.  Dr.  White  remained  in  con- 
nection with  the  mission  until  1841,  when  he  resigned  and  re- 
turned East,  whereupon  he  was  appointed  Sub-Indian  Agent 
for  Oregon,  the  first  United  States  officer  for  the  Pacific  Coast. 


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. 


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Mission  Work  125 

He  continued  in  this  capacity  until  1845,  when  he  returned 
East  to  remain.  The  second  reinforcement  arrived  in  Septem- 
ber, 1837,  and  consisted  of  Rev.  Mr.  Leslie  and  family,  Rev. 
H.  K.  W.  Perkins  and  wife,  and  Miss  Margaret  Smith.  The 
third  reinforcement  arrived  in  May,  1840,  because  of  the  per- 
sonal work  of  Rev.  J.  Lee,  whose  return  East  in  1838  has  al- 
readv  been  mentioned.  This  consisted  of  thirtv-six  adults 
and  seventeen  children.  Among  them  were  Reverends  A.  F. 
Waller,  G.  Hines,  J.  L.  Parrish,  L.  H.  Judson  and  J.  Olley, 
Dr.  L.  H.  Bagcock,  and  Mr.  (afterwards  Governor)  George 
Abernethy.  With  this  assistance  missions  were  begun  among 
the  Indians  at  Clatsop  under  Mr.  Parrish,  at  Nisqually  under 
Mr.  Richmond,  and  at  The  Dalles  under  Messrs.  D.  Lee  and 
Perkins,  while  others  labored  among  the  whites. 

Of  other  settlers  in  Oregon  in  1840,  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
in  the  Willamette  Valley,  there  were,  outside  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  thirty-six  Americans,  twenty-five  of  whom  had 
native  wives.  Many  of  these  had  been  trappers  in  the  moun- 
tains, but  had  settled  at  last  in  the  garden  spot  of  Oregon. 
Including  all  who  were  connected  with  the  missions  there 
were  a  hundred  and  thirty-seven  i  Americans  and  sixty-three 
Canadian  French.  In  1841  Mrs.  Whitman  speaks  of  an  emi- 
gration of  twenty-four  persons,  two  of  them  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  children.  In  1842  a  larger  emigration  came,  organized 
mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  E.  White,  who  came  with  it 
after  his  appointment  as  Sub-Indian  Agent.  It  consisted  of 
about  a  hundred  and  ten  persons,  over  fifty  of  whom  were 
eighteen  years  old  or  upwards,  and  capable  of  bearing  arms. 


CHAPTER  V. 


MISSION  WORK — CONTINUED. 


Some  troubles  existed  in  the  mission  from  1838  to  1842,  es- 
pecially between  Messrs.  Gray,  Smith,  Spalding  and  Whitman, 
and  these  facts,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  Indians  did  not 
seem  to  be  as  many  as  were  at  first  estimated  and  other  dis- 
couragements, decided  the  Prudential  Committee  of  the  Board 
at  Boston  to  send  an  order  to  discontinue  the  stations  among 
the  Cayuses  and  Nez  Perces,  to  discharge  Messrs.  Spalding, 
Gray,  Rogers  and  Smith,  and  to  transfer  Dr.  Whitman  to  the 
station  among  the  Spokanes.  By  the  time,  however,  that  this 
order  was  received,  in  the  fall  of  1842,  Messrs.  Smith,  Gray 
and  Rogers  had  left  the  mission  voluntarily,  and  affairs  had 
taken  such  a  favorable  turn  that  a  meeting  of  the  mission  was 
held  at  Dr.  Whitman's,  September  26-28,  1842,  at  which  it 
was  determined  to  see  if  this  decision  could  not  be  reversed. 
The  mission,  as  a  body,  sent  a  petition  to  the  Board  to  this  ef- 
fect. Mr.  Spalding  wrote  earnestly  on  the  subject.  Messrs. 
Walker  and  Eells  wrote  privately  their  earnest  protest,  because 
it  would  open  the  way  for  the  Catholics;  because  it  would 
soon  be  the  death  of  their  station  among  the  Spokanes,  as  it 
could  not  live  long  if  the  others  should  be  discontinued,  and 
because,  if  the  southern  stations  should  remain,  they  would 
have  beneficial  influence  on  the  whites  who  were  sure  to  come. 
Mr.  A.  McKinley,  then  in  charge  of  Fort  Walla  Walla,  wrote 
in  the  same  line,  and  Dr.  Whitman  determined  to  make  a  per- 
sonal appeal  to  the  Board.  There  is  no  evidence,  however, 
that  he  would  have  gone  East  during  the  dead  of  that  winter, 
if  at  all,  had  he  not  had  other  objects  in  view.  He  believed 
that  there  was  great  danger  that  the  Northwest  Coast,  or  a 
part  of  it,  would  fall  into  the  hands  of  Great  Britain,  and  he 
wished  to  visit  Washington  to  see  if  he  could  not  do  some- 
thing to  prevent  it,  and  also,  as  another  means  for  the  same 


Mission  Work  127 

object,  to  inchice  as  many  emigrants  as  he  could  to  couie  to 
Oregon.  But  as  these  are  subjects  of  great  importance,  they 
will  be  discussed  separately  hereafter.  At  the  same  time, 
however,  he  intended  to  try  to  accomplish  two  missionary 
objects.  One  was  to  try  to  induce  the  Board,  if  possible,  to 
reverse  the  decision  which  would  destroy  his  station  and  that 
of  Mr.  Spalding,  and  in  this  he  was  successful ;  the  other  was 
to  induce  a  few  lay  Christian  families  to  come  as  missionaries, 
so  as  to  release  the  regular  missionaries  from  secular  pursuits, 
to  contribute  to  the  social  and  religious  advancement  of  the 
Indians,  and  to  form  the  nucleus  of  settlements,  in  order  to 
withstand  Roman  Catholic  influence.  In  this  he  was  not  suc- 
cessful, to  his  great  regret. 

A  report  of  these  difficulties  reached  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
so  that  when  Messrs.  Paris  and  Rice  arrived  there,  because 
of  this  report  and  the  great  need  of  laborers  at  the  Islands, 
it  was  thought  best  for  them  to  remain  there  temporarily,  an 
arrangement  which  was  afterwards  made  permanent  by  the 
Board.  A  part  of  the  immigration  of  1842  arrived  at  Dr. 
Whitman's  September  14.  Says  Captain  Medorem  Crawford 
in  his  journal  of  that  date :  ''I  was  never  more  pleased  to  see 
a  house  or  white  people  in  my  life;  we  were  treated  by  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Whitman  with  the  utmost  kindness.  We  got  what 
provision  we  wanted  on  the  most  reasonable  terms."  In  the 
immigration  was  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  then  about  thirty-two  years 
old.  Dr.  Whitman  asked  him  if  he  thought  he  could  go  East 
during  that  winter,  and  Mr.  Lovejoy  thought  it  might  be  pos- 
sible. Then  the  Doctor  asked  him  if  he  would  accompany 
him,  and  after  a  little  thought  he  consented  to  do  so.  As 
this  journey  was  undertaken  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
what  he  could  to  save  the  countrv  to  the  United  States,  the 
account  of  it  will  be  given  in  a  later  chapter. 

After  Dr.  Whitman's  visit  to  Washington  and  other  places 
on  national  business,  he  went  to  Boston,  where  he  arrived 
March  .''.<>.  lS4'i.  He  attended  to  the  missionary  business  ni 
Boston  ;ind  secured  the  rescinding  of  the  order  to  discontinue 
the  two  southern  stations  of  the  mission.  After  spending 
three  days  at  his  former  home  in  New  York  State,  he  bade  it 
good-bye  forever  on  the  20th  of  April,  and  stated  West,  with 


128  Marcus  Whitman 

his  nephew,  Perrin  B.  Whitman,  then  a  young  man.  Nearly 
every  incident  of  this  journey,  worthy  of  note,  has  reference 
to  his  assistance  to  the  emigration  of  that  year,  the  first  one 
to  reach  the  Columbia  River  with  wagons,  and  these  services 
were  so  great  that  they  will  be  discussed  separately,  after  this 
sketch  of  his  missionary  life  is  completed. 

While  at  Boston  Dr.  Whitman  made  the  following  state- 
ment about  the  results  of  his  mission  work :  "Many  are  bene- 
fitted by  this  station  who  seldom,  if  ever,  bring  their  families 
here.  Individuals  from  different  places  visit  us  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  taught  or  receiving  medicine,  or  other  favors. 
Occasional  visits  are  also  made  to  some  of  these  places,  and 
instruction  is  imparted.  In  this  way  an  extensive  acquain- 
tance is  made,  and  much  useful  information  and  religious  in- 
struction given. 

"Those  who  resort  to  this  station  are  the  Waiilatpu,  Walla 
Walla  and  Numipa  Indians.  The  attention  given  to  us  during 
religious  worship  is  generally  good;  instruction  is  listened  to 
with  solemnity  and  interest.  Worship  is  maintained  by  the 
principal  men,  morning  and  evening,  at  which  most  are  pres- 
ent. Those  who  do  not  attend  have  what  comes  nearer  to 
family  worship  in  their  separate  lodges.  Their  migrations 
do  not  occasion  any  departure  from  this  practice,  as  far  as  I 
am  apprised. 

"I  have  abundant  evidence  of  the  restraining  power  of  re- 
ligious truths  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives,  both  from  their 
remarks  and  my  own  observation.  A  chief  of  great  notoriety 
for  his  jugglery  has  often  told  me  what  he  would  have  done  in 
such  and  such  cases,  which  he  named,  intimating  in  what  way 
he  would  have  taken  revenge ;  but,  he  added,  'I  am  now  made 
weak  by  what  I  have  been  taught  of  my  future  accountability.' 
Murder,  violence  and  revenge  are  a  terror  to  him  now.  The 
most  violent  and  ungovernable  fits  of  rage  I  have  ever  seen 
among  them  have  calmly  passed  into  kindness,  and  perhaps 
submission,  under  the  restraining  influence  of  the  gospel." 

During  the  absence  of  the  Doctor  in  the  East,  affairs  at  his 
station  were  somewhat  checkered.  Mrs.  Whitman  was  left 
there,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  Mr.  William  Geiger, 
a  young  Christian  man  who  had  come  to  the  country  in  1839, 


Mission  Work  129 

to  have  charge.  But  Dr.  Whitman  left  so  suddenly  that  Mr. 
Geiger,  who  was  then  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  did  not  arrive 
until  after  the  Doctor  left.  Before  he  arrived,  however,  and 
only  four  days  after  the  Doctor  left,  an  Indian  entered  the 
house  one  night,  and  attempted  to  insult  Mrs.  Whitman ;  but 
her  own  efforts  and  the  presence  of  a  young  man  in  the  house, 
prevented  this.  Thinking  it  not  prudent  to  remain  there 
longer,  at  the  urgent  request  of  Mr.  McKinley  of  Fort  Walla 
Walla,  who  sent  a  wagon  for  her,  she  left  the  station  and  went 
to  the  fort.  Shortly  after,  she  went  to  the  Methodist  mis- 
sion at  The  Dalles,  where  she  remained  during  the  winter,  as 
her  health  was  not  very  good  and  she  did  not  feel  able  to  go 
by  land  to  either  of  the  other  stations  of  the  American  Board. 

In  May,  1843,  she  visited  her  own  home,  when  Dr.  E.  White 
held  a  council  with  the  Cayuses,  after  which  she  went  to  the 
Willamette  and  Astoria  to  visit  friends. 

In  November,  1842,  the  Doctor's  grist-mill  and  several  hun- 
dren  bushels  of  grain  were  burned  by  an  Indian.  Yet,  not- 
withstanding these  adverse  events,  before  the  Doctor  returned 
in  the  fall  of  1843,  the  Indians  seemed  anxious  to  have  him 
come  back,  and  one  of  them  said  to  Mrs.  Whitman,  "Oh,  that  I 
could  eat  the  word  of  God  to  the  full !" 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  written  by  her  during 
this  time  are  here  inserted,  as  being  of  interest.  October  4, 
1842,  she  wrote  to  the  Doctor:  "The  line  you  sent  me  today 
by  Aps.  did  me  great  good.  I  thought  I  was  cheerful  and 
happy  before  it  came,  but,  on  the  perusal  of  it,  I  found  that  it 
increased  my  happiness  fourfold.  I  believe  the  Lord  will  pre- 
serve me  from  being  anxious  about  you,  and  I  was  glad  to  hear 
you  say,  with  so  much  confidence,  that  you  trusted  in  Him  for 
safety.  He  will  protect  you,  I  firmly  believe.  Night  and  day 
shall  my  prayer  ascend  to  Him  in  your  behalf,  and  the  cause 
for  which  you  have  sacrificed  the  endearments  of  home,  at  the 
risk  of  your  life,  to  see  advancing  more  to  the  honor  and  glory 
of  God.  Mr.  Gray  and  family  did  not  leave  here  till  this 
morning." 

Saturday  evening,  8th.  I  do  not  feel  as  lonely  this  evening 
as  T  have  always  formerly  done  when  you  have  been  away.  I 
hope  you  do  not  have  a  sad  moment  about  me.     Where  are  you 


130  Marcus  Whitman 

tonight,  my  love,  preparing  to  spend  the  holy  Sabbath?  My 
heart  has  met  thine  at  the  mercy-seat,  and  I  trust  blessings 
are  in  store  for  you  on  the  morrow,  both  for  body  and  mind; 
and,  methinks,  you  have  taken  leave  of  Monsieur  Payette  and 
gone  a  comfortable  day  beyond.  Again,  let  me  say,  be  not 
anxious  for  me,  for  the  sympathies  of  all  are  excited  for  me 
the  moment  they  hear  you  have  gone.  I  shall  be  well  taken 
care  of,  and,  no  doubt,  have  more  letters  to  answer  than  I  am 
able  to  write.  Received  one  today  from  Mr.  Spalding,  express- 
ing the  kindest  sympathy  and  concern,  both  for  you  and  my- 
self, and  desire  for  the  success  of  your  undertaking.  It  is 
the  Lord  sustains  me.  I  know  it  is  that,  or  I  should  not  feel 
as  happy  about  you  as  I  do.  Oh,  may  we  continue  to  feel  it 
until  we  are  both  brought  together  again,  rejoicing  in  His 
goodness!  .  .  .  How  will  you  feel,  dear  husband,  when 
you  seat  yourself  in  sister  Julia's  house,  or  with  our  mothers, 
and  do  not  see  the  windows  filled  with  Indians,  and  the  doors, 
also?  Will  you  not  feel  lost?  I  can  scarcely  imagine  how 
you  will  feel.  Could  it,  consistently  with  duty,  have  been  so, 
I  should  rejoice  to  be  a  partaker  with  you  of  the  feelings  pro- 
duced by  a  visit  to  those  dear  firesides,  but  I  am  happy  in  re- 
maining while  you  are  permitted  the  prospect,  and  I  hope  the 
reality,  of  seeing  those  beloved  objects  once  more. 

9th.  Sabbath  Eve.  My  dear  husband  would  like  to  know 
what  kind  of  a  Sabbath  we  have  had  here,  for  I  know  his  heart 
is  with  this  people.  Ellis  [a  Nez  Perce  Chief],  who  brought 
me  Mr.  Spalding's  letter,  was  their  minister  today.  This  af- 
ternoon I  had  a  Bible  class  in  English  with  him,  John  and 
Mungo  [Hawaiians],  besides  the  time  I  spent  with  the  chil- 
dren. He  read,  and  appeared  to  understand  very  well.  He 
thinks  he  loves  the  Saviour.  I  urged  the  duty  of  secret  prayer, 
in  addition  to  family  worship,  and  showed  him  the  passage  in 
Matthew.  He  said  he  would  in  the  future  attend  to  the  duty 
daily.  He  told  me  yesterday  that  if  he  had  been  here  he  would 
have  gone  with  you  to  the  States.  Although  I  am  alone  as  to 
associates,  and  my  husband  is  gone,  yet  I  have  not  been  lonely 
today.  The  presence  of  the  Saviour  fills  every  vacancy.  My 
little  children  appear  thoughtful  and  solemn." 

Under  date  of  February  7,  1843,  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote  from 


Mission  Work  1  3 1 

Washkopain  (The  Dalles)  to  her  parents,  as  follows:  "It  is 
with  feelings  of  interest  that  I  think  of  the  home  of  my  child- 
hood; and  why  should  I  not,  since  every  object  I  hold  most 
dear  on  earth  is  there?  Last  evening  was  monthly  concert; 
being  too  feeble  to  meet  with  the  brethren  and  sisters  here,  I 
spent  most  of  the  evening  in  my  room.  How  can  I  describe 
the  hallowed  influences  that  seemed  to  be  shed  around  me, 
the  inward  peace  and  sacred  sense  of  the  presence  of  God  in 
my  soul.  I  could  think  of  nothing  else,  but  surely  beloved 
friends  must  be  praying  for  me.  This  cannot  be  in  answer  to 
my  own  individual  prayers  that  I  perceive  all  this.  I  felt  as  if 
in  spirit  I  was  in  the  midst  of  that  loved  circle,  feeling  the  in- 
fluence, and  enjoying  the  sweets  with  you.  My  father,  my 
mother,  my  sisters  and  brothers,  and  my  beloved  husband,  too 
— what  earthly  objects  can  be  dearer  to  me  than  these?  They 
are  my  all,  yet  widely  separated  from  me.  I  speak  as  if  you 
were  enjoying  the  society  of  my  dear  husband,  and  at  this  time, 
if  the  Lord  has  spared  his  life,  and  prospered  him,  according 
to  his  and  my  expectations,  you  are.  Beloved  parents,  what 
do  you  think  of  your  lonely  child  in  this  lonely  world?  You 
pray  for  her,  I  know;  you  must,  or  she  would  not  feel  the  al- 
most constant  support  of  the  Saviour's  presence,  which  is 
granted  under  the  trying  circumstances  in  which  I  am  placed. 
How  do  you  like  to  see  your  son?  How  do  you  enjoy  his  so- 
ciety, after  so  long  an  absence?  Did  you  ever  dream  of  seeing 
him  there  without  me?  I  flatter  myself  that  it  would  add  a 
little  to  the  happiness  of  you  all,  if  I  was  there  with  him.  I 
am  sure  it  would  to  mine,  but  if  you  enjoy  his  and  make  him 
happy,  T  shall  be  satisfied.  I  never  have  felt  much  as  though 
I  should  see  my  friends  again  in  the  flesh.  Since  my  husband 
has  gone  without  me,  I  feel  it  more  doubtful  than  ever;  but 
we  know  not  in  what  way  the  Lord  may  lead  us.  It  is  a  great 
satisfaction  to  me  to  think  that  he  will  see  them,  and  be  able 
to  give  me  information  concerning  them  which  I  can  get  in 
no  other  way,  and  from  no  other  source,  should  the  Lord  spare 
li mi  to  me.  .  .  .  My  eyes  are  almost  gone ;  my  poor  health 
affects  them  materially,  and  writing  is  very  injurious  to  me. 
I  am  spending  a  very  happy  winter  here,  and  T  trust  that  it 
has  been,  and  will  be  for  my  spiritual  good.    The  society  and 


1  32  Marcus  Whitman 

progress  of  such  a  society  of  living  and  growing  Christians  is 
very  refreshing  to  rne1  after  having  lived  so  much  alone,  im- 
nierged  in  care  and  toil." 

Most  of  the  rest  of  the  letter  is  occupied  with  an  account 
of  the  burning  of  their  mill,  the  councils  with  the  Cayuses,  a 
visit  with  Mr.  C.  Rogers  and  his  death,  and  that  of  others  at 
Oregon  City  by  drowning,  and  her  feelings  about  it.  She  closes 
with  the  following,  which  with  the  foregoing,  probably  gives 
the  best  picture  of  her  own  inner  life  extant :  "It  is  very  try- 
ing to  be  here  in  this  desolate  land  without  my  husband,  and 
were  it  not  for  sustaining  grace  I  should  sink  under  it;  but 
the  favors  of  the  Lord  are  many  and  great,  in  giving  us  so 
many  friends  to  cheer  and  comfort  us.  My  health  is  very 
poor.  This  increases  the  trial.  In  consequence,  I  have  too 
many  gloomy  and  despairing  and  dark  forebodings,  which  I 
have  not  strength  to  rise  above.  The  Lord  gives  me  much 
of  His  gracious  presence  and  increased  spiritual  enjoyment  in 
communion  with  Him,  for  which  I  desire  to  be  thankful.  My 
paper  will  not  contain  all  that  a  poor  heart  pants  to  pour  forth 
into  the  bosom  of  dear,  long-absent  parents ;  a  privilege  which 
would  doubtless  be  too  much  for  my  weak  nature  to  endure. 
With  pleasing  delight  I  look  forward  to  that  happy  time  when 
we  may  meet  in  yonder  happy  world,  and  enjoy  in  full  fruition 
what  eye  hath  not  seen  nor  ear  heard  of  things  prepared  for 
us.  I  love  you  all  increasingly,  and  shall  till  I  die.  Believe 
me,  dear  friends,  I  am  happy  in  making  this  sacrifice  for 
Christ — it  is  for  Him  we  have  made  it,  and  I  rejoice  in  it; 
yea,  and  will  rejoice,  however  trying  to  the  flesh.  I  see  no 
reason  to  regret  my  husband  going  home  without  me,  nor  shall 
I,  if  I  suffer  loss  in  all  things. 

"May  we  all  meet  in  Heaven,  prays  your  unworthy,  your 
lonely,  but  your  ever  loving  daughter,  NARCISSA." 

On  his  return,  when  Dr.  Whitman  arrived  at  the  Grand 
Ronde  Valley,  he  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Walker,  urging 
him  to  hasten  on,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding  were  very  sick. 
Accordingly  he  went  direct  to  Mr.  Spalding's,  where  he  ar- 

JThat  society  consisted  of  Rev.  D.   Lee,  Rev.  H.   K.  W.  Perkins, 
Mr.  H.  B.  Brewer  and  their  wives. 


Mission  Work  133 

rived  Sept.  25th.  He  found  them  both  convalescent,  but  his 
presence  was  very  needful,  as  both  of  their  children  were  taken 
with  the  same  disease.  He  then  went  home,  but  soon  pro- 
ceeded to  the  station  among  the  Spokanes,  on  professional 
business,  arriving  on  the  3rd  of  October.  Having  remained 
there  a  few  days,  he  returned  to  his  station,  with  Mr.  Walker, 
reaching  it  about  the  10th,  and  soon  after  went  down  the  Co- 
lumbia for  his  wife.  He  met  her  at  The  Dalles,  on  her  way 
to  join  him,  in  company  with  Rev.  Jason  Lee. 

Writing  to  the  Board,  November  1st,  he  stated  that  the 
Indians  had  succeeded  well  in  cultivating  the  soil  that  year, 
and  had  never  treated  him  or  the  mission  as  well  as  then. 
Those  at  his  station  also  treated  the  immigrants  very  kindly, 
though  other  Indians,  the  lowest  and  least  formidable,  had 
annoyed  the  immigrants.  He  urged  the  Board  to  send  a  min- 
ister for  his  station,  fitted  to  preach  to  the  Indians,  and  also 
to  come  in  contact  with  the  frontier  men  and  to  be  able  to 
meet  the  Romanists.  He  also  says:  "You  will  do  as  you 
think  best  about  encouraging  teachers  and  others  to  come  out 
as  immigrants,  and  labor  for  a  time  for  the  mission.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  this  upper  country  will  soon  be  settled, 
and  we  very  much  need  good  men  to  be  located,  two,  three  or 
four  in  a  place,  to  secure  a  good  influence  for  the  Indians,  and 
form  a  nucleus  for  religious  institutions,  and  keep  back  Ro- 
manism. The  country  must  be  occupied  by  Americans  or  for- 
eigners ;   if  it  is  by  the  latter,  they  will  be  mostly  papists."1 

A  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Whitman,  May  18,  1844,  to  Miss 
L.  C.  Porter,  of  Prattsburg,  shows  that  she,  too,  was  very  de- 
sirous of  having  good  people  come  to  the  country.  Among 
other  things  she  says :  "I  try  to  induce  my  friends  to  come  to 
see  me,  and  seek  a  home  in  Oregon.  A  wide  door  of  useful- 
ness is  open  here  to  the  most  philanthropic  and  benevolent 
heart.  Multitudes  are  flocking  to  this  land,  and  will  in  still 
greater  numbers,  and  for  every  purpose.  And  our  anxious  de- 
sire is  that  the  salt  of  the  earth  should  be  found  among  them, 
also;  and  that  this  entire  country  may  be  seasoned  with 
heavenly  influences  from  above.     The  powers  of  darkness  have 

1  "Missionary  Herald,"  1844,  p.  177. 


134  Marcus  Whitman 

long  held  undivided  sway  over  this  land,  and  we  feel  that  Satan 
will  not  quietly  yield  his  dominions  to  another.  He  is  on  the 
alert  with  all  his  hosts,  and  in  as  many  ways  as  he  has  num- 
bers employed,  to  gain  the  entire  victory,  to  keep  and  drive 
from  the  field  all  who  disturb  or  molest  his  quiet.  Many 
souls  are  here  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  multitudes  more, 
unconcerned,  are  hastening  to  this  far-distant  land  to  seek 
their  fortune  of  worldly  goods,  regardless  of  their  treasures  in 
Heaven.  But  thanks  be  to  the  Hearer  of  Prayer,  many  have  al- 
ready found  Christ  in  Oregon  who  have  long  rejected  Him  in  a 
gospel  land." 

She  also  mentions  that,  soon  after  her  return  to  her  home, 
for  three  months  her  health  was  in  a  very  precarious  condi- 
tion, and  that  at  one  time  she  was  very  near  the  gates  of 
death. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  next  winter — 1844-45— there 
were  but  few  Indians  at  the  station,  and  the  school  was  sus- 
pended, but  by  the  close  of  February  nearly  all  had  returned, 
and  two  or  three  hundred  attended  public  worship.  There 
was  no  marked  change,  but  a  gradual  increase  of  knowledge, 
and  less  attachment  to  papal  forms. 

There  were  at  this  time  several  causes  of  disquiet  among 
the  Indians,  which  had  an  adverse  influence  on  missionary 
work,  partly  on  account  of  troubles  between  whites  and  In- 
dians, and  partly  because  of  trouble  between  the  Indians.  The 
laws  made  by  Dr.  E.  White.  U.  S.  Sub-Indian  Agent,  in  the 
spring  of  1843,  of  which  more  full  mention  will  be  made  here- 
after, did  not  prove  to  be  as  successful  as  had  been  at  first 
hoped.  The  Indians  resorted  to  them  chiefly  to  support  claims 
against  the  whites,  but  not  to  settle  difficulties  among  them- 
selves. Their  own  offenders  often  went  unpunished.  A  quar- 
rel had  also  arisen  between  the  Cayuses  and  the  Snake  In- 
dians. An  Indian  doctor  was  also  murdered  at  Dr.  Whitman's 
station.  There  was  trouble,  too,  at  Oregon  City  between  the 
whites  and  Molalla  Indians,  in  which  Mr.  G.  W.  Le  Breton  was 
killed.  This  excited  the  Cayuses,  as  they  and  the  Molallas 
talked  the  same  language,  it  being  said  that  they  had  been 
separated  in  some  ancient  wars. 

From  this  time  there  are  but  few  letters  from  Dr.  Whit- 


Mission  Work  1  35 

man  in  the  Missionary  Herald.  There  was  an  increasing  de- 
sire by  the  Indians  for  the  instruction  of  their  children  both  in 
English  and  Indian,  an  increase  in  religious  knowledge,  and 
an  upward  tendency  to  industry  and  enterprise,  owing  partly 
to  better  markets,  occasioned  by  the  annual  immigrations, 
while  at  the  same  time  there  was  more  cavilling  and  opposition 
to  religion. 

In  1841  the  Doctor  rebuilt  his  flouring  mill,  and  the  next 
year  he  built  a  sawmill  in  the  Blue  Mountains,  on  Mill  Creek 
[which  obtains  its  name  from  this  fact],  about  twenty  miles 
from  his  station. 

As  teachers  and  assistants  he  had  with  him  Mr.  A.  Hin- 
man,  during  the  winter  of  1814-15;  Mr.  William  Geiger,  in 
1845  and  1846 ;  and  Mr.  Andrew  Rodgers,  an  emigrant  of  1845, 
from  that  time  till  the  massacre.  Mr.  Rodgers,  while  there, 
began  studying  for  the  ministry  with  the  expectation  of  becom- 
ing a  missionary.  Of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman  and  their  work, 
Mr.  Rodgers  wrote  in  1846  as  follows: 

"I  think  Mrs.  Whitman  is  one  of  the  best  women  in  the 
world.  She  has  a  family  of  eleven  children  (and  also  one  of  Mr. 
Walker's  during  the  winter),  and,  strange  to  say,  not  one  of 
them  is  her  own  [In  a  later  letter  he  calls  her  'my  mother']. 
I  can  hardly  tell  you  what  kind  of  a  man  the  Doctor  is,  for  he 
is  so  much  of  an  all-sorts-of-a-man,  yet  a  very  kind,  generous, 
persevering  man.  I  suppose,  as  to  taking  the  lead  in  mission- 
ary affairs,  he  takes  the  lead.  Of  the  difficulties  and  trials 
of  a  missionary  life,  few  of  us  in  the  States  have  any  definite 
idea.  Indeed,  no  one  can  well  do  so  until  he  has  been  among 
them  for  some  time.  Those  things  that  are  regarded  as  trials 
at  home  (leaving  home  and  friends)  are  not  considered  such 
at  all  when  they  get  here.  They  have  doubtless  done  much 
good  here,  but  it  respects  temporal  affairs  more  than  spirit- 
ual. Not  that  they  have  not  labored  as  much  for  the  latter  as 
the  former — much  more.  But  the  natural  heart  is  always  and 
in  every  place  averse  to  religion,  both  in  savage  and  civilized 
countries — Indians  or  white  men." 

In  May,  1847,  the  Doctor  wrote:  "We  think  the  affairs  of 
this  station,  in  regard  to  the  Indians,  are  in  a  very  favorable 
state,  such  as  gives  promise  of  continued  prosperity."      Dr. 


1  36  Marcus  Whitman 

Whitman  still  prosecuted  his  labors  with  cheerfulness  and 
assiduity.  As,  at  this  time,  there  was  unusual  sickness,  he 
spent  much  time  in  administering  to  their  wants,  not  forget- 
ting, however,  their  spiritual  necessities.  It  was  his  purpose, 
at  no  distant  time,  to  build  a  place  of  worship  for  the  Indians, 
and  he  was  taking  measures  to  build  some  store  houses  for 
their  use. 

Dr.  Whitman  was  also  very  anxious  to  provide  means  of 
grace  for  the  whites,  who  were  crowding  into  the  country. 
In  his  latest  communication  to  the  Board  he  dwelt  with  great 
earnestness  on  this  topic,  and  was  urgent  that  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society  and  American  Tract  Society  should 
enter  the  field  without  delay.  The  destinies  of  Oregon,  he 
thought,  depended,  in  a  very  important  sense,  upon  the  in- 
fluences which  should  be  thrown  into  it  during  the  first  years 
of  its  history,  and  he  could  not  shut  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
Romanism  and  irreligion  were  gaining  a  strong  position  in 
places  which  promised  to  be  central  points  at  a  future  day. 

October  18,  1847,  less  than  a  month  and  a  half  before  his 
death,  he  wrote  to  the  Board:  "It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
me  that  there  are  so  few  pious  men,  who  are  ready  to  asso- 
ciate together  and  come  to  this  country,  where  they  could  be  so 
useful  in  setting  up  and  maintaining  religious  society,  and  es- 
tablishing the  means  of  education.  Is  it  indeed  so,  that  none 
of  the  good  people  of  the  East  can  come  to  Oregon,  for  the 
double  purpose  of  availing  themselves  of  the  government 
bounty  of  land,  and  of  doing  good  to  the  country?  Or  do  I 
lose  my  object  in  writing  you  so  often  upon  the  subject?  Is  it 
a  matter  of  regret  to  you,  and  to  the  pastors  generally,  to 
lose  a  few  of  the  best  members  of  society,  and  church  and 
business  men,  that  they  may  benefit  both  themselves  and  the 
cause  of  religion,  education,  and  their  country?  It  is  not  too 
late  yet,  I  hope,  but  I  am  sure  if  anything  is  done  as  it  should 
be,  that  the  people  should  come  next  year.  The  interior  of 
Oregon  is  unrivalled  probably  for  the  growing  of  stock,  of 
which  sheep  are  the  best.  This  interior  will  not  be  sought 
after,  and  I  fear  we  are  to  have  the  half-breed  and  French 
population  from  the  Willamette,  as  they  show  a  disposition 
to  sell  out  there  and  come  here.     It  cannot  be  that  we  shall  let 


Mission  Work  137 

them  have  the  ascendancy  here.  If  we  do,  you  may  well  see 
what  will  be  the  consequence.  My  plan  is  for  you  to  confer 
with  the  pastors  and  individuals  in  some  way,  and  lay  the  mat- 
ter open  before  them.  Let  there  be  either  a  selection  of  men  for 
the  work  or  volunteers.  Let  them  be  the  best  of  pastors  and 
church  members,  for  it  is  a  work  that  needs  good  men.  Why 
will  pastors  neglect  to  select  their  best  and  worthiest  men 
to  do  good  by  their  persons,  their  property  and  their  in- 
fluence? Can  a  mind  be  found  so  narrow  as  not  to  be  willing 
to  part  with  a  pastor;  or  a  pastor  not  willing  to  part  with 
a  church  member,  simply  because  they  are  good  men  and  useful 
where  they  are?  I  fear  this  is  the  feeling,  and  I  remember  a 
conversation  I  had  with  you,  which  clearly  showed  that  you 
knew  that  spirit  prevailed  to  a  considerable  extent.  I  do  be- 
lieve ministers  can  be  found,  who  will  send  out  either  good 
men  for  general  distribution  in  the  colony,  as  the  wants  of  the 
colony  shall  be  seen  by  them,  or  who  will  come  out  with  those 
who  will  locate,  so  as  to  make  a  religious  society.  One  or 
more  ought  to  be  with  the  intent  to  found  a  college.  I  know 
of  no  place  so  eligible  as  The  Dalles,  close  by  our  station. 
There  is  a  salubrious  climate  and  near  proximity  to  market, 
and  the  main  settlement  will  be  secured.  A  good  school  there 
would  not  want  for  support  even  now;  and  this  might  be  the 
embryo  of  the  intended  college." 

Here  then  were  some  of  Dr.  Whitman's  far-reaching  plans — 
colonies  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians  and  the  future  good  of 
the  white  settlement,  with  good  schools  and  a  college  in  view. 
The  Dalles  had  been  transferred  during  that  season  as  a  mis- 
sion station  by  the  Methodists  to  the  American  Board,  through 
Dr.  Whitman's  agency.  Mr.  Walker  had  been  requested  to 
occupy  it,  and  had  at  first  concluded  to  do  so,  but  had  after- 
wards declined.  It  was  hence  temporarily  occupied  by  Mr.  A. 
Hinman  and  P.  B.  Whitman,  the  Doctor's  nephew.  Accord- 
ing to  his  nephew,  the  Doctor  himself  intended  to  move  there 
in  the  spring  of  1848,  not  however  with  the  idea  of  abandoning 
his  statioD,  but  of  manning  it  in  some  other  way. 

The  last  letter  which  the  author  has  seen  by  Mrs.  Whit- 
man, dated  July  G,  1847,  and  written  to  her  mother,  speaks  in 
much  the  same  way.     She  was  especially  anxious  to  have  her 


1  38  Marcus  Whitman 

brother  and  sister,  Edward  and  Jane,  come  and  help  in  the 
work,  and  she  also  speaks  of  the  importance  of  The  Dalles. 

Of  the  work  among  the  Indians,  she  says :  "Our  prospects 
as  a  mission,  we  feel,  were  never  brighter  than  at  the  present 
moment."  And  in  the  same  letter,  under  date  of  August  23, 
she  adds:  "Very  many  of  the  principal  Indians  are  dying, 
and  some  have  been  killed  by  other  Indians,  in  going  south 
into  the  regions  of  California.  The  remaining  ones  seem  at- 
tached to  us  the  closer,  cultivate  their  farms  quite  extensively, 
and  do  not  wish  to  see  any  Americans  settle  among  them  here. 
They  are  willing  to  have  them  spend  the  winter  here,  but  in 
the  spring  they  must  all  go  on.  They  would  be  willing  to  have 
more  missionaries  stop,  and  those  devoted  to  their  good.  They 
expect  that  eventually  this  country  will  be  settled  by  them,  but 
they  wish  to  see  the  Willamette  filled  up  first.  Husband  is 
wearing  out  fast.  His  heart  and  hands  are  so  full  all  the 
time  that  his  brethren  feel,  solicitous  about  him.  His  benevo- 
lence is  unbounded,  and  he  often  goes  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
ability,  and  often  beyond,  in  doing  good  to  the  Indians  and 
white  men.  Last  winter  my  family  averaged  twenty,  this 
summer  sixteen." 

Mrs.  Whitman  also  speaks  of  the  last  meeting  of  the  mis- 
sion at  which  it  was  determined  to  build  more  mission  houses 
at  their  station,  so  that  the  mission  families  could  winter  there 
and  send  their  children  to  a  school  there;  and  so  take  a  large 
amount  of  work  from  her  hands,  work  occasioned  by  her  board- 
ing some  of  these  mission  children.  Mr.  Walker  was  to  move 
to  The  Dalles ;  Mr.  Eells  to  Dr.  Whitman's,  spending  the  win- 
ters for  the  benefit  of  the  whites,  and  his  summers  itinerating 
among  the  Indians ;  and  Mr.  Spalding's  family  was  also  to  be 
there.  Fortunately,  as  the  result  proved,  Mrs.  Walker's  health 
was  such  that  she  did  not  feel  able  to  move  to  The  Dalles,  as 
contemplated,  consequently  Mr.  Eells  remained  among  the  Spo- 
kanes  with  him,  and,  for  some  reason  not  given,  Mr.  Spalding, 
too,  stayed  at  his  home. 

Father  Brouillet  has  published  a  statement  made  by  Mr. 
Thomas  McKay  that  the  Doctor  had  told  him  that  for  a  couple 
of  years  before  his  death  "he  had  ceased  to  teach  the  Indians 
because  they  would  not  listen  to  him."      But  the  statement 


o 

o 
r 

e 


r 

05 


Mission  Work  139 

above,  given  directly  by  both  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Whitman 
about  the  very  favorable  condition  of  their  mission,  must  set- 
tle that  point. 

Mrs.  Whitman  also  speaks  of  her  large  family.  She  had  no 
child  of  her  own,  but  had  opened  her  heart  to  take  care  of 
those  of  others.  In  1841  she  took  two  half-breed  girls,  Mary 
Ann,  the  daughter  of  James  Bridger  (out  of  whose  back  the 
Doctor  had  cut  an  arrow  in  1835),  and  Helen  Mar,  the  daughter 
of  Joseph  L.  Meek,  another  mountain  man,  who  afterwards  set- 
tled near  Hillsboro,  in  the  Willamette,  where  he  became  quite 
prominent.  The  next  year  a  half-breed  boy,  whose  father 
was  a  Spaniard,  but  who  had  left  him,  was  brought  to  Mrs. 
Whitman  by  his  grandmother.  He  was  about  two  years  old, 
and  was  called  David  Malan.  He  had  been  put  down  by  his 
mother  in  a  hole  and  left  to  die,  but  was  rescued  by  other 
relatives.  Again  he  was  found  by  an  interpreter  in  the  same 
place,  surrounded  by  other  boys,  who  were  tormenting  him  by 
burning  his  naked  body  with  sticks  of  fire.  When  Mrs.  Whit- 
man learned  this,  she  could  not  shut  her  heart  against  him. 

Among  the  immigrants  of  1844  was  a  man  named  Sager, 
who  had  a  family  consisting  of  his  wife  and  seven  children, 
between  the  ages  of  infancy  and  thirteen.  The  father  died  of 
typhoid  fever  on  Green  River,  and  the  mother  sank  under  her 
burdens  when  she  reached  Snake  River  and  there  died.  The 
immigrants  cared  for  the  children  until  they  reached  Dr. 
Whitman's,  but  would  take  them  no  farther.  The  Doctor  and 
his  wife  took  the  strangers  in  at  first  for  the  winter,  but  af- 
terwards adopted  them  and  cared  for  them  as  long  as  they 
lived. 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  one  of  these  children,  afterwards  gave 
the  following  account  of  this  event.  It  was  written  in  answer 
to  a  charge  made  by  Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor  that  the  Doctor  was 
mercenary,  making  money  out  of  the  immigrants.  "In  April, 
1844,  my  parents  started  for  Oregon.  Soon  after  starting  we 
were  all  camped  for  the  night,  and  the  conversation  after  a 
while  turned  upon  the  probability  of  death  before  the  end  of  the 
journey  should  be  reached.  All  told  what  they  would  wish  their 
families  to  do  in  case  they  should  fall  by  the  way.    My  father 


140  Marcus  Whitman 

said,  'Well,  if  I  should  die,  I  would  want  my  family  to  stop 
at  the  station  of  Dr.  Whitman.'  Ere  long  he  was  taken  sick 
and  died,  but  with  his  dying  breath  he  committed  his  family 
to  the  care  of  Captain  Shaw,  with  the  request  that  they  should 
be  left  at  the  station  of  Dr.  Whitman.  Twenty-six  days  after 
his  death,  his  wife  died.  She,  too,  requested  the  same.  When 
we  were  in  the  Blue  Mountains,  Captain  Shaw  went  ahead  to 
see  about  leaving  us  there.  The  Doctor  objected,  as  he  was 
afraid  the  Board  would  not  recognize  that  as  a  part  of  his 
labor.  After  a  good  deal  of  talk  he  consented  to  have  the 
children  brought,  and  he  would  see  what  could  be  done.  On 
the  seventeenth  day  of  October  we  drove  up  to  the  station,  as 
forlorn  a  looking  lot  of  children  as  ever  was.  I  was  a  cripple, 
hardly  able  to  walk,  and  the  babe  of  six  months  was  danger- 
ously ill.  Mrs.  Whitman  agreed  to  take  the  five  girls,  but  the 
boys  must  go  on  (they  were  the  oldest  of  the  family).  But 
the  'mercenary'  Doctor  said,  'All  or  none.'  He  made  arrange- 
ments to  keep  the  seven  until  spring,  and  then  if  we  did  not 
like  to  stay,  and  he  did  not  want  to  keep  us,  he  would  send  us 
below.  An  article  of  agreement  was  drawn  up  in  writing  be- 
tween him  and  Captain  Shaw,  but  not  one  word  of  money  or 
pay  was  in  it.  I  had  it  in  my  possession  for  years  after  I 
came  to  the  (Willamette)  Valley,  having  received  it  from  Cap- 
tain Shaw.  Before  Captain  Shaw  reached  The  Dalles  he  was 
overtaken  by  Dr.  Whitman,  who  announced  his  intention  of 
adopting  the  seven,  on  his  own  responsibility,  asking  nothing 
ot  the  Board  for  their  maintenance.  The  next  summer  he  went 
to  Oregon  City  and  legally  became  our  guardian,  and  the  ac- 
tion is  on  the  records  of  Clackamas  County.  Having  done 
this,  he  farther  showed  his  mercenary  nature  by  disposing  of 
our  father's  estate  in  such  a  way  that  he  could  not  realize  a 
cent  from  it.  He  exchanged  the  oxen  and  old  cows  for  young 
cows,  and  turned  them  over  to  the  two  boys  to  manage  until 
they  should  grow  to  manhood ;  besides  this  he  gave  them  each 
a  horse  and  saddle,  which,  of  course,  came  out  of  his  salary, 
as  we  were  not  mission  children,  as  the  three  half-breeds  were 
that  were  in  the  family.  After  doing  all  this  he  allowed  the 
boys  opportunities  to  accumulate  stock  by  work  or  trade.  Of- 
ten he  has  said  to  us,  'You  must  all  learn  to  work,  for  father 


"  Mission  Work  ~  1 4 1 

is  poor  and  can  give  you  nothing  but  an  education.  This  I 
intend  to  do  to  the  best  of  my  ability.' " 

Besides  these,  for  the  sake  of  the  school  which  was  kept  at 
Dr.  Whitman's,  they  had  one  or  two  of  Mr.  Spalding's  and  Mr. 
"Walker's  children.  These,  with  the  teacher  and  a  few  others 
stopping  with  them,  sometimes  made  a  family  of  about  twenty. 

Another  incident  with  an  immigrant  is  here  related,  given 
almost  in  the  words  of  the  narrator,  Joseph  Smith,  who  came 
to  the  country  in  1846.  He  says:  "I  was  mighty  sick  cross- 
ing the  Blues,  and  was  so  weak  from  eating  blue  mass  that 
they  had  to  haul  me  in  the  wagon  till  we  got  to  Dr.  Whitman's 
place  on  the  Walla  Walla  River.  Then  Mother  Whitman  came 
and  raised  the  wagon  cover  and  says,  'What  is  the  matter 
with  you,  my  brother?'  'I  am  sick,  and  I  don't  want  to  be 
pestered  much,  either.'  'But,  but,  my  young  friend,  my  hus- 
band is  a  doctor,  and  can  probably  cure  your  ailment;  I'll  go 
and  call  him.'  So  off  she  clattered,  and  purty  soon  Doc.  came, 
and  they  packed  me  in  the  cabin,  and  soon  he  had  me  on  my 
feet  again.  I  eat  up  a  whole  band  of  cattle  for  him,  as  I  had 
to  winter  with  him.  I  told  him  I'd  like  to  work  for  him,  to 
kinder  pay  part  of  my  bill.  Wall,  Doc.  set  me  to  making  rails, 
but  I  only  made  two  hundred  before  spring,  and  I  got  to  wor- 
ryin'  'cause  I  hadn't  only  fifty  dollars,  and  a  saddle  horse,  and 
I  reckoned  I  owed  the  Doctor  four  or  five  hundred  dollars  for 
my  life.  Now,  maybe  I  wasn't  knocked  out  when  I  went  and 
told  the  Doctor  I  wanted  to  go  on  to  Webfoot  and  asked  him 
how  we  stood ;  and  Doctor  p'inted  to  a  Cayuse  pony,  and  says, 
'Money  I  have  not,  but  you  can  take  that  horse  and  call  it  even, 
if  you  will.' " 

A  memorable  event  was  the  death  of  Joseph  S.  Findley  at 
their  house  in  1846.  He  was  an  immigrant  of  1840,  and  became 
an  earnest  Christian  while  at  Dr.  Whitman's.  He  had  con- 
sumption, but  Mrs.  Whitman  spoke  of  it  as  the  triumphant 
death  of  a  brother  in  Christ,  whom  she  saw  enter  joyfully  the 
New  Jerusalem  above.  He  had  united  with  the  church  in  Feb- 
ruary, and  died  the  28th  of  March. 

At  Tshimakain  very  little  of  importance  occurred  in  the 
missionary  work.  There  were  no  great  encouragements,  nor 
special  discouragements.    At  Mr.  Spalding's  there  was  a  little 


142  Marcus  Whitman 

more  to  encourage.  In  1844  nineteen  were  received  into  the 
mission  church,  all  but  one  of  whom  at  least  were  Nez  Perces. 
A  single  Cayuse  was  thus  received. 

The  Methodist  missions  had  been  much  more  discouraging. 
The  Indians  had  largely  vanished,  one  or  two  scholars  in  their 
school  had  died,  and  this  prejudiced  the  parents  against  it; 
other  difficulties  arose,  so  that  in  1844,  while  the  Superintend- 
ent, Rev.  J.  Lee,  had  gone  East,  he  was  superseded  by  Rev. 
George  Gary.  Having  examined  the  field,  in  1845  he  closed 
all  the  missions  among  the  Indians  except  the  one  at  The 
Dalles.  In  1847  this  was  transferred,  as  already  stated,  to  the 
American  Board.  Thus  their  foreign  missionary  work  in  Ore- 
gon closed. 

In  the  meantime  large  immigrations  came  every  year,  be- 
ginning with  1843,  and  the  Willamette  Valley  was  rapidly  fill- 
ing up.  In  1843  a  provisional  government  had  been  formed, 
to  provide  for  the  government  of  the  people  until  the  United 
States  should  extend  its  jurisdiction  over  the  country.  In 
1846  the  treaty  had  been  made  with  England,  which  settled 
the  boundary  line  between  the  two  nations,  though  the  provis- 
ional government  was  not  superseded  by  the  regular  territorial 
government  until  1849,  owing  to  the  slow  action  of  Congress. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


NATIONAL  WORK. 


As  the  subject  of  the  national  bearings  of  Dr.  Whitman's 
work  has  been  discussed  more  than  any  other  with  which  he 
was  concerned,  and  even  more  widely  than  any  other  historical 
subject  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  the  treatment  of  it  will  be  divided 
into  three  parts :  First,  a  statement  concerning  the  early  his- 
tory of  Oregon  and  its  political  conditions  in  1842;  second,  a 
statement  of  what,  in  the  author's  opinion,  the  Doctor  did  ac- 
complish according  to  the  evidence;  third,  a  consideration  of 
six  objections  which  have  been  raised  to  the  claim  that  he  went 
East  with  a  national  object  in  view. 

I.  Oregon,  as  first  known,  included  the  country  between 
the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west,  the  Rockv  Mountains  on  the 
east,  the  forty-second  degree  of  north  latitude,  or  the  northern 
boundary  of  California,  on  the  south,  and  fifty-four  degrees, 
forty  minutes,  on  the  north.  Its  first  discoverers  belonged  to 
different  nations.  Juan  De  Fuca,  a  Greek  pilot,  is  said  to  have 
entered  a  large  opening  between  the  forty-seventh  and  forty- 
eighth  degrees  of  latitude  in  1592,  and  to  have  spent  twenty 
days  in  exploring  it.  Some  writers  believe  the  story  to  be  a 
myth,  but  his  name  is  forever  fixed  to  a  part  of  Fuget  Sound. 
To  rediscover  this  opening  was  the  desire  of  the  nations.  Vis- 
caino,  a  Spaniard,  sailed  north  to  forty-three  degrees  in  1602 
and  1003.  Juan  Perez,  another  Spaniard,  in  1774  and  1775 
s;iiled  to  the  fifty-eighth  degree,  seeing  land  at  a  few  places. 
About  1775  Heceta  and  Bodega,  Spaniards,  sailed  to  the  forty- 
eighth  degree,  probably  also  discovering  the  mouth  of  the  Co- 
lumbia River,  but  not  entering  it.  Captain  .Tames  Cook,  an 
Englishman,  discovered  Cape  Flattery  in  177S.  La  Perouse, 
a  Frenchman,  made  further  discoveries  in  L786. 

Poll  lock  and  Dixon,  Englishmen,  were  at  Queen  Char- 
lotte's Island  in  1787.      The  next  year  Duncan  and  Colnett, 


144  Marcus  Whitman 

Englishmen,  made  further  discoveries  in  the  same  region.  In 
1787  Captain  Berkely,  an  Englishman,  rediscovered  the  Straits 
of  Juan  De  Fuca,  though  he  did  not  explore  the  passage. 
Lieutenant  Meares,  another  Englishman,  but  sailing  under  the 
Portuguese  flag,  in  1788  bought  some  land  of  the  Indians  at 
Nootka  Sound,  where  he  says  he  raised  the  British  flag.  He 
also  saw  the  Straits  of  Fuca.  In  1792  Captain  Robert  Gray, 
an  American,  discovered  the  Columbia  River,  which  he  named 
after  his  vessel,  entering  its  mouth.  The  same  year  Vancou- 
ver, an  Englishman,  explored  Puget  Sound  thoroughly,  and 
after  Gray's  discovery  of  the  Columbia  entered  it,  proceeded 
some  distance  up  the  river,  and  took  possession  of  it  in  the 
name  of  England.  Russia,  too,  coming  from  Asia  by  way  of 
Bering  Straits  had  made  some  discoveries,  just  when  is  a  lit- 
tle uncertain,  but  by  means  of  them  she  claimed  the  country 
between  Bering  Strait  and  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia. 

Two  prominent  overland  journeys  were  also  made;  one  by 
Alexander  Mackenzie,  a  subject  of  Great  Britain,  who  reached 
the  Pacific  Coast,  between  latitude  fifty-two  and  fifty-three,  in 
1793;  and  the  other  under  the  direction  of  President  Jeffer- 
son, by  Lewis  and  Clark,  who  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Co- 
lumbia in  1805. 

This  practically  completed  the  period  of  exploration,  in 
which  the  Spanish,  Russians,  English  and  Americans  had  the 
main  share,  while  the  French  had  a  small  part.  They,  how- 
ever, under  De  Soto,  had  discovered  the  Mississippi  River, 
and,  according  to  some  writers,  claimed  not  only  all  the  coun- 
try drained  by  its  branches  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  by 
contiguity  still  further  west  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Others  deny 
this,  and  it  matters  but  little,  because  in  1803  the  United 
States  bought  of  France  Louisiana  and  all  the  rights  of  the 
French  on  the  continent  in  connection  with  the  discovery  of 
the  Mississippi. 

The  next  period  was  that  of  the  fur  hunters,  although  some 
of  the  vessels  already  mentioned  had  visited  the  coast  far  more 
for  furs  than  for  discovery.  The  first  of  these  was  the  North- 
west Company  of  Montreal.  Simon  Frazier,  of  that  Company, 
built  a  fort  on  Frazier's  Lake,  in  about  fifty-four  degrees, 
north  latitude.     In  1809  William  Weir  and  nine  others,  Amer- 


National  Work  145 

icans,  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  trapped  down  the  Co- 
lumbia, and  wintered  on  its  lower  waters.  The  Missouri 
Fur  Company  made  the  first  American  settlement  west  of  the 
Rockies  in  1809,  establishing  Fort  Henry  on  the  headwaters 
of  Snake  River  [It  was  abandoned  in  1810  because  of  the 
hostility  of  the  Indians].  In  1810  Captain  Jonathan  Winship 
sent  a  vessel  around  Cape  Horn  and  established  a  post  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Columbia  near  its  mouth,  but  it  was  flooded 
by  the  June  freshet  of  the  Columbia  and  abandoned.  In  1811 
John  Jacob  Astor  built  Astoria,  intending  it  to  be  the  head- 
quarters on  the  Pacific  Coast  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  a 
very  great  enterprise,  but  on  account  of  the  war  of  1812  be- 
tween England  and  the  United  States,  it  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Northwest  Company  of  Montreal,  which  from  1813  to 
1821  reigned  supreme  in  Oregon.  It  is  said  that  Astor's  com- 
pany lost  a  million  dollars  in  this  enterprise. 

Thus  both  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  had  strong 
claims  to  the  country.  An  attempt  was  made  in  1818  to  settle 
the  question  of  ownership  by  treaty  between  them,  but  it  was 
impossible  to  do  so,  and  it  was  agreed  that  for  ten  years  the 
country  should  be  open  to  the  vessels,  citizens,  and  subjects  of 
the  two  powers.  It  being  no  more  possible  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion ten  years  later,  it  was  agreed  to  continue  the  same  arrange- 
ment indefinitely,  either  party  being  at  liberty  to  withdraw 
from  it  by  giving  twelve  months'  notice.  This  is  known  as 
the  period  of  "Joint  Occupancy."  Spain,  too,  had  some  strong 
claims,  but  in  1819  the  United  States  bought  from  her  Florida 
and  also  all  of  her  rights  on  the  Pacific  Coast  north  of  Cali- 
fornia, thus  eliminating  her  from  the  contest.  Russia,  al- 
though in  1821  she  had  by  public  decree  claimed  all  the  coun- 
try as  far  south  as  forty-five  degrees  and  fifty  minufes,  yet  be- 
cause  of  strong  protestations  both  by  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain  in  1824,  withdrew  them  so  far  as  to  claim  noth- 
ing south  of  fifty-four  degrees  and  forty  minutes.  The  contesl 
for  possession  was  accordingly  narrowed  down  to  Great  Brit- 
ain and  the  United  Stales. 

When  the  treaty  of  1818  was  made,  the  Northwest  Company 
had  virtually  complete  possession.  About  thai  time  trouble 
arose  between    if   and    the    Hudson's   Hay  Company   which   re- 


1  46  Marcus  Whitman 

suited  in  bloodshed  in  Manitoba.  The  British  government  set- 
tled the  trouble  by  consolidating  the  two  companies  in  1821, 
under  the  name  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  From  that 
time  for  about  twenty  years  it  reigned  supreme  in  Oregon, 
although  Americans  made  several  attempts  to  gain  a  foothold. 
in  1821  the  brig  Owyhee  and  schooner  Convoy,  owned  in  Bos- 
ton, entered  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  to  trade  with  the  In- 
dians, and  returned  the  next  year. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  was  composed  of  Will- 
iam Sublette,  David  Jackson  and  Jedediah  S.  Smith.  The 
latter  crossed  the  Continent  into  California  in  1827,  and  at- 
tempted to  come  north  into  Oregon,  but  was  attacked  in  the 
Rogue  River  Valley  by  the  Indians.  He  lost  all  his  furs,  and 
all  but  Smith  and  three  others  were  killed.  They  found  their 
way  to  Vancouver.  Dr.  McLoughlin  obtained  from  the  In- 
dians some  of  the  furs,  which  he  bought  of  Smith,  but  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Company  retired  from  the  field. 

The  North  American  Fur  Company  was  formed  by  Astor, 
after  the  failure  of  his  enterprise  at  Astoria,  for  trade  east 
of  the  Rockies.  Usually  it  kept  on  its  side,  but  agreed  with 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  meet  their  traders  and  the  In- 
dians for  trade  at  some  rendezvous  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
each  summer,  after  which  each  company  retired  to  its  own  side. 
After  a  time  its  traders  crossed  the  mountains,  but  never  dared 
1o  go  very  far,  and  never  built  any  post  west  of  them. 

Major  Pilcher  in  1828  conducted  a  private  enterprise  with 
forty-five  men  on  Snake  River  and  Flathead  Lake,  going  to 
Fort  Oolville,  and  then  returning  East.  His  party  were  all 
cut  off  except  himself  and  two  men,  and  it  is  said  that  his  furs 
were  taken  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Ewing  Young  in  1829  led  the  next  band  of  American  trap- 
pers into  the  field  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  He  went 
mainly  into  Northern  California,  where  the  Company  had  by 
this  time  gone,  and  into  Southeastern  Oregon.  He  afterwards 
gave  up  the  business,  returned  to  Oregon,  and  settled  in  the 
Willamette  Valley,  dying  there  in  1840. 

Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  of  the  United  States  Army, 
in  1832  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  two  years  to  explore 
Oregon  and  the  Rocky  Mountains.      He  came  as  far  as  Walla 


National  Work  147 

Walla,  but  owing  to  the  competition   of  the  Hudson's   Bay 
Company  his  enterprise  was  financially  a  failure.1 

Captain  X.  J.  Wyeth  in  1832  crossed  the  Continent  with 
a  view  to  trading  in  furs  and  canning  salmon  on  the  Lower 
Columbia.  He  sent  a  ship  around  the  Horn,  but  it  was  lost 
on  the  way,  and  the  enterprise  proved  a  failure  for  that  year. 
He  returned  East,  and  in  1834  sent  another  vessel  around 
the  Horn,  the  May  Dacre,  while  he  crossed  the  Continent, 
starting  with  seventy  men.  He  built  Fort  Hall,  and  then  came 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  where  he  met  his  vessel,  and 
built  Fort  William  on  Sauvie's  Island.  Fort  Hall  was  fairly 
in  the  country  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  they  built 
Fort  Boise,  where  they  undersold  him.  His  enterprise  on 
Sauvie's  Island  also  proved  a  failure,  and  he  found  himself 
obliged  to  sell  out  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  1837.  He 
himself  returned  East  in  1830,  having  lost  a  fortune  of  about 
thirty  thousand  dollars.  This  was  practically  the  end  of  the 
American  fur  trade  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.2 

One  more  enterprise  ought,  however,  to  be  mentioned.  In 
1827  Hall  J.  Kelley,  a  school  teacher  in  Boston,  who  had  be- 
come much  interested  in  Oregon,  presented  a  petition  to  Con- 
gress, asking  for  a  grant  of  land  for  an  association  of  emi- 
grants. But  Congress  felt  that  the  United  States  had  not 
fully  acquired  Oregon  and  consequently  could  grant  no  title 
to  any  land  in  it.  He  then  obtained  a  charter  for  an  emi- 
gration company  from  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  in 
1830-31.  He  started  with  a  small  party  by  way  of  Mexico  and 
California.  His  party  deserted  him,  but  still  he  kept  on,  and 
having  met  Ewing  Young,  to  whom  reference  has  already  been 
made,  they  came  together  to  Oregon  in  1834.  He  was  then 
sick,  and  was  sent  home  by  Dr.  McLoughlin  by  way  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  After  that  he  worked  for  Oregon  in  the 
way  of  lectures  and  with  Congress,  but  his  efforts  for  a  colony 
were  fruitless,  although  he  scattered  much  information  about 
the  country  which  in  after  years  bore  good  fruit.  He  never 
returned  to  Oregon. 


1  « 

2  « 


Bonneville's   Adventures,"  by  Washin^'oii    [rving. 
Wyeth's  Journals,"  by  Oregon    Historical  Society. 


148  Marcus  Whitman 

Thus,  between  1808  and  1838  the  Americans  made  twelve 
efforts,  either  individually  or  in  companies,  to  trade  with  the 
Indians  on  the  Northwest  Coast,  or  to  settle  in  it,  and  all 
proved  failures.  By  1834,  when  the  first  missionaries  came 
to  the  country,  there  remained  between  latitudes  42  and  54  of 
all  those  who  had  been  in  it  not  more  than  fifteen  persons 
whose  presence  was  not  attributable  to  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  and  hardly  one-half  of  these  remained  permanently 
in  the  country.  They  were  mostly  free  trappers,  adventurers, 
mountain  men,  sailors,  and  persons  connected  with  Wyeth's 
first  expedition.  Several  of  them  were  married  to  native 
women.  Even  early  in  1830  when  Captain  Wyeth  left  the 
country,  there  were  only  three  more  permanent  residents,  all 
of  whom  belonged  to  Wyeth's  party,  exclusive  of  the  four 
Methodist  missionaries,  and  not  an  American  white  woman 
was  among  them.  This  was  a  poor  showing  for  peopling  the 
country  with  Americans,  when  hundreds  had  entered  it,  and 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  had  been  spent  by  Americans 
in  trying  to  build  up  a  business  in  it. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  thus  made  joint  occupancy 
to  mean  occupancy  by  themselves,  and  they  intended  if  possible 
to  have  it  continue.  They  did  this  both  as  loyal  British  sub- 
jects, and  because,  as  Chief  Factor  McDonald,  of  Fort  Colville, 
said  to  Dr.  Gushing  Eells,  if  England  should  obtain  it,  it 
would  be  made  over  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  as  a  fur 
producing  country.  Mr.  McDonald  expected  that  England 
would  obtain  it,  and  in  the  hearing  of  Dr.  Eells  asked  the 
question :  "Who  fifty  years  hence  will  compose  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  country?"  and  then  himself  answered  the  question 
by  saying,  substantially,  ''The  descendants  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company."  Dr.  Whitman  said  with  reference  to  the  same 
class  (of  mixed  blood)  :  "Fifty  years  hence  they  will  not  be 
found."1  For  this  reason  Dr.  McLoughlin,  ruler  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  on  this  coast,  placed  all  the  American  mis- 
sionaries either  south  or  east  of  the  Columbia,  for  while  he 
had  strong  hopes  that  Great  Britain  would  obtain  all  of  Ore- 
gon, he  believed  that  she  would  certainly  retain  all  north  of 

'"Missionary  Herald,"  December,  1866,  pp.  370-371. 


National  Work  149 

that  river,  and  he  did  not  wish  any  Americans  north  of  it. 
When  the  Bishop  of  Jnliopolis  wrote  to  Sir  George  Simpson, 
asking  that  two  Catholic  priests  might  go  under  the  protection 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  Oregon,  he  replied,  Febru- 
ary 17,  1838:  "When  the  Bishop  first  mentioned  this  subject, 
his  view  was  to  form  a  mission  on  the  banks  of  the  Willamette, 
a  river  falling  into  the  Columbia  from  the  south.  To  the 
establishing  of  a  mission  there  the  Governor  and  Committee 
in  London  and  the  Councils  in  Hudson's  Bay  had  a  decided 
objection,  as  the  sovereignty  of  that  country  is  still  undecided ; 
but  I  last  summer  intimated  to  the  Bishop  that  if  he  would 
establish  the  mission  on  the  banks  of  the  Cowlitz  River,  or 
on  the  Cowlitz  Portage,  falling  into  the  Columbia  from  the 
northward,  and  giving  his  assurance  that  the  missionaries 
would  not  locate  themselves  on  the  south  side  of  the  Columbia 
River,  but  would  form  their  establishment  where  the  Com- 
pany's representatives  might  point  out  as  the  most  eligible 
situation  on  the  north  side,  I  should  recommend  to  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Committee  to  afford  a  passage  to  the  priests,  and 
such  facilities  towards  the  successful  accomplishment  of  the 
object  in  view  as  would  not  involve  any  great  inconvenience 
or  expense  to  the  Company's  service." 

The  Bishop  yielded  to  these  suggestions,  and  Governor 
Simpson  added  that  the  Company  would  assist  them.  It  did 
so.1 

The  Company  knew  the  value  of  the  country,  its  resources 
of  timber,  agriculture,  fish,  minerals  and  the  like,  though  they 
made  special  effort  to  produce  the  impression  that  it  was  of 
little  value.  In  their  business  of  collecting  furs  they  had  an 
opportunity  to  travel  its  whole  length  and  breadth  and  see  its 
value.  Previous  to  1843  Mrs.  McDonald,  wife  of  the  Chief 
Factor  at  Fort  Colville,  had  a  collection  of  mineral  specimens, 
a  pari  of  which  she  presented  to  Mrs.  Eells.  In  1843  employes 
of  that  Company  told  ('buries  A.  Geyer,  a  German  botanist. 
who  was  traveling  with  them,  that  they  knew  that  precious 
metals  existed  in  a  certain  place  from  actual  investigation.  In 
fact  gold  bad  been  taken  from  near  the  Columbia  River,  sent 

^'History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Oregon,"  p.  24. 


150  Marcus  Whitman 

to  England,  made  into  a  watch  seal,  brought  back,  and  worn 
by  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  Company.  Still,  special 
effort  was  made  to  produce  the  impression  that  the  country 
was  of  little  value. 

When  the  Company  saw  that  the  Americans  were  beginning 
to  come  into  the  country  in  considerable  numbers,  they  brought 
in  1841  a  colony  of  about  eighty  persons  from  the  Red  Kiver 
settlement  of  Manitoba,  whom  they  at  first  settled  near  the 
waters  of  Puget  Sound,  so  as  to  counteract  American  settlers. 
But  they  intended,  if  possible,  to  hold  all  of  Oregon.  In  1841-2 
Sir  George  Simpson,  Governor-General  of  the  Company,  made 
a  tour  around  the  world.  In  his  book  about  it  he  discusses 
the  question  of  the  possession  of  the  country  quite  fully.  He 
says:  "The  United  States  will  never  possess  more  than  a 
nominal  jurisdiction,  nor  long  possess  even  that,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains;  and  supposing  the  country  to 
be  divided  tomorrow  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  most  un- 
scrupulous patriot  in  the  Union,  I  challenge  conquest  to  bring 
my  prediction  and  its  own  power  to  the  test,  by  imposing  the 
Atlantic  tariff  on  the  parts  of  the  Pacific." 

After  discussing  the  question  a  little  further  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  claims  of  the  United  States,  and  showing  its  de- 
fects, he  concludes  by  saying:  "On  behalf  of  England  direct 
arguments  are  superfluous,  for  until  some  other  power  puts  a 
good  title  ou  paper,  actual  possession  must  be  held  of  itself 
conclusive  in  her  favor."1 

This  powerful  Company  not  only  had  virtual  possession, 
but  determined  to  continue  in  the  possession,  even  if  it  should 
cost  them  a  hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling.  As  early  as 
1827,  when  the  renewal  of  the  treaty  of  1818  was  under  con- 
sideration, England  had  said:  "In  the  interior  of  the  terri- 
tory in  question  the  subjects  of  Great  Britain  have  had  for 
many  years  numerous  settlements  and  trading  posts,  several 
of  these  posts  on  the  tributary  streams  of  the  Columbia,  sev- 
eral upon  the  Columbia  itself,  some  to  the  northward,  and 
others  to  the  southward  of  that  river.  And  they  navigate  the 
Columbia  as  the  sole  channel  for  the  conveyance  of  their  pro- 

1  Simpson's  "Journey  Around  the  World,"  pp.  151-152. 


National  Work  151 

duce  to  the  British  stations,  nearest  the  sea,  and  for  the  ship- 
ment of  it  from  thence  to  Great  Britain.  It  is  also  by  the 
Columbia  and  its  tributary  streams  that  these  posts  and  settle- 
ments receive  their  annual  supplies  from  Great  Britain.  In 
the  whole  territory  in  question  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States  have  not  a  single  settlement  or  trading  post.  They  do 
not  use  that  river  either  for  the  purpose  of  transmitting  or  re- 
ceiving any  produce  of  their  own,  to  or  from  other  parts  of 
the  world."1 

At  the  same  time,  according  to  Greenhow,  they  "claimed 
and  received  the  aid  and  consideration  of  government  for  their 
energy  and  success  in  expelling  the  Americans  from  the  Co- 
lumbia regions,  and  forming  settlements  there  by  means  of 
which  they  were  rapidly  converting  Oregon  into  a  British 
Colony." 2 

After  a  treaty  continuing  "Joint  Occupancy"  had  been  re- 
newed indefinitely  from  1828,  occasional  references  were  made 
in  official  circles  to  the  subject. 

In  August,  1831.  Edward  Livingston,  Secretary  of  State, 
instructed  Martin  Van  Buren,  our  minister  at  London,  to  open 
discussion  at  the  Court  of  St.  James  with  the  view  of  settling 
the  Oregon  question.  Nothing  of  importance,  however,  was 
done. 

On  February  7,  1838,  Senator  Linn,  of  Missouri,  introduced 
a  bill  into  the  United  States  Senate  to  authorize  the  occupation 
of  the  Columbia  or  Oregon  Territory,  building  a  fort,  occupy- 
ing the  country  with  the  military  force  of  the  United  States, 
and  extending  the  revenue  laws  over  the  territory,  but  the  bill 
did  not  pass.  In  March  of  the  same  year  Rev.  Jason  Lee  and 
P.  L.  Edwards  prepared  a  memorial  to  Congress  which  was 
signed  by  J.  L.  Whitcomb  and  thirty-five  others,  and  carried 
to  Washington  by  Mr.  Lee  of  the  Methodist  Mission.  This 
spoke  of  the  advantages  of  the  country  and  asked  our  Govern- 
ment to  take  formal  and  speedy  possession  of  Oregon.  This 
was  supplemented  in  January,  1839,  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  Lee 
to  Hon.  Caleb  Oushing,  pressing  the  subject  still  further. 

1  Greenhow's  "Oregon  and  California,"  p.  454. 

2  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  67. 


1  52  Marcus  Whitman 

Again,  in  1839,  Rev.  D.  Leslie  and  about  seventy  others 
sent  to  Congress  another  memorial  from  Oregon,  asking  for 
the  formation  of  a  territorial  government  for  Oregon.  In 
1840  two  memorials  from  Ohio  and  one  from  Kentucky  were 
sent  to  Congress  on  the  same  subject.  Two  of  these,  one 
from  Ohio,  and  the  one  from  Kentucky,  asked  for  grants  of 
land,  and  the  other  that  the  laws  of  the  United  States  might 
be  extended  over  Oregon.  In  March,  1840,  Mr.  Linn  intro- 
duced further  resolutions  asking  the  government  to  settle  the 
Oregon  boundaries,  establish  a  line  of  military  posts  from  Fort 
Leavenworth  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  grant  a  thousand  acres 
of  land  to  every  white  male  inhabitant  of  Oregon  over  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  appoint  an  Indian  Agent.1 

In  December,  1841,  President  Tyler  in  his  first  annual  mes- 
sage recommended  the  establishment  of  a  line  of  military  posts 
from  Council  Bluffs  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.2 

But  nothing  was  done  for  two  reasons:  Southern  people 
were  afraid  on  account  of  the  slavery  question,  for  the  acqui- 
sition of  Oregon  would  probably  add  more  territory  to  the  non- 
slaveholding  North;  and  some  Northern  persons  were  afraid 
that  it  would  cause  unfriendly  relations  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain. 

In  the  meantime  some  efforts  were  made  in  the  Willamette 
Valley  looking  towards  the  organization  of  a  provisional  gov- 
ernment for  Oregon ;  that  is,  a  government  which  should  last 
until  the  United  States  should  extend  her  jurisdiction  over 
the  region.  The  first  effort  was  in  February,  1841,  owing 
to  the  death  of  Ewing  Young,  with  a  large  estate  and  no  known 
heirs.  For  several  reasons  the  effort  failed.  The  next  year 
the  subject  was  revived,  but  by  that  time  the  Government  had 
done  one  thing  which  led  the  people  to  hope  that  the  desired 
action  by  Congress  was  about  to  be  taken.  This  was  the  send- 
ing out  of  Dr.  Elijah  White  as  Sub-Indian  Agent.  Dr.  White 
had  come  to  Oregon  in  1837  as  a  physician  of  the  Methodist 
Mission.  He  remained  until  1841,  when  he  resigned  and  re- 
turned East,  and  was  then  appointed  by  the  Government  in  the 

'Brown's  "Political  History  of  Oregon,"  vol.  1,  pp.  54-61. 
*  "Messages  and  Papers  of  the  Presidents,"  vol.  4,  p.  87. 


National  Work  153 

above  mentioned  capacity.1  Commodore  Wilkes,  then  in  the 
Columbia  River  with  his  vessels,  also  advised  that  nothing  be 
done. 

The  next  year,  1843,  after  Dr.  Whitman  had  gone  East,  and 
before  his  return,  this  provisional  government  was  organized. 
It  continued  in  operation  until  1849,  when  the  United  States 
assumed  complete  control. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  country  in  1842  before  Dr. 
Whitman  went  East.  He  had  not  been  long  on  the  Coast  be- 
fore he  gained  quite  correct  ideas  of  the  situation.  It  became 
clear  to  him  that  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  using  their 
utmost  endeavors  to  obtain  the  country  for  England,  so  that  it 
might  be  made  over  to  them  for  their  own  use.  He  had 
learned,  too,  of  its  value  and  resources,  having  then  traveled 
over  a  considerable  part  of  it,  both  east  and  west  of  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains,  and  he  had  met  many  persons,  Americans  as 
well  as  British  subjects,  who  had  been  over  parts  where  he 
had  not  been.  He  wrote  Rev.  Mr.  Walker  several  times  about 
it.  One  expression  was  as  follows :  -'This  country  will  soon 
be  settled  by  the  whites ;  it  belongs  to  the  Americans ;  it  is 
a  great  and  rich  country;  what  a  country  this  would  be  for 
the  Yankees;   why  not  tell  them  about  it?"2 

Says  Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  who  went  East  with  him:  "My 
party  camped  some  two  miles  below  Dr.  Whitman's  place.  The 
day  after  our  arrival,  Dr.  Whitman  called  at  our  camp,  and 
asked  me  to  accompany  him  to  his  house,  as  he  wished  me  to 
draw  up  a  memorial  to  Congress  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  ardent 
spirits  in  this  country.  The  Doctor  was  alive  to  the  interests 
of  this  coast,  and  manifested  a  very  warm  desire  to  have  it 
properly  presented  at  Washington."3 

Rev.  H.  K.  W.  Perkins,  a  missionary  of  the  Methodists  at 
The  Dalles  in  the  early  forties,  wrote  in  1840:  "He  (Dr. 
Whitman)  looked  upon  them  (the  Indians)  as  doomed  at  no 
distant  day  to  give  place  to  a  settlement  of  enterprising  Amer- 
cans.      With  an  eye  to  this,  he  laid  his  plans  and  acted.     His 

1  Brown's    "Political    History    of    Oregon,"    vol.    1,    pp.    82-88,    and 
Eells'  "Indian  Missions,"  pp.  187-189. 

2  "Eells- Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.   11. 

3  "Life  of  Rev.  G.  II.  Atkinson,  D.  D.,"  p.  272. 


154  Marcus  Whitman 

American  feelings,  even  while  engaged  in  his  missionary  toils, 
were  suffered  to  predominate.  He  wanted  to  see  the  country- 
settled.  .  .  .  With  his  eye  bent  on  this  he  was  willing, 
meantime,  to  do  what  he  could  for  the  poor,  weak,  feeble, 
doomed  Oregonians"  (Indians).1 

He  felt  strongly  on  the  subject.  At  the  time  his  missionary 
associates  thought  that  he  was  disturbed  to  an  unwarranted 
degree,  but  afterwards  they  acknowledged  that  he  was  right.2 

For  many  years  the  eastern  boundary  question,  especially 
between  Maine  and  British  America,  had  been  a  source  of  con- 
stant trouble.  It  had  never  been  settled  since  the  United 
States  had  become  a  nation.  In  December,  1841,  the  British 
Government  determined  to  send  Lord  Ashburton  to  the  United 
States,  with  full  power  to  settle  this  question  and  all  other 
subjects  in  controversy  between  the  two  governments.  This 
included  the  Oregon  question.  Lord  Ashburton  arrived  at 
Washington  April  4,  1842,  and  on  the  eleventh  Governor  Fair- 
field of  Maine  was  notified  of  his  arrival  and  its  object.  The 
Maine  boundary  was  settled  by  the  treaty  made  by  Lord  Ash- 
burton and  Daniel  Webster,  then  Secretary  of  the  United 
States,  signed  on  August  9,  1842.  The  Oregon  question  came 
up  for  consideration,  but  nothing  was  done  about  it.  In  re- 
gard to  it,  President  Tyler,  in  a  special  message  to  the  Senate, 
August  11,  1842  (written  by  Mr.  Webster),  said:  "After  sun- 
dry informal  communications  with  the  British  Minister  on  the 
subject  of  the  claims  of  the  two  countries  to  territory  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  so  little  probability  was  found  to 
exist  of  coining  to  any  agreement  on  that  subject  at  present 
that  it  was  not  thought  expedient  to  make  it  one  of  the  subjects 
of  formal  negotiation,  to  be  entered  upon  between  the  govern- 
ment and  the  British  minister,  as  part  of  his  duties  under  his 
special  mission."8 


2  u-f 


'Oregonian,"  November  21,  1895. 

'Missionary    Herald,"    1866,    pp.    371,    372,    and    Eells'    "Whitman 
Pamphlet,"  p.  11. 

3  "Webster's  Works,"  vol.  6,  pp.  270,  272,  273,  351,  and  "Messages 
and  Papers  of  the  Presidents,"  p.  166. 


National  Work  155 

The  pressing  of  this  subject  at  this  time,  it  was  feared, 
would  have  endangered  the  other  questions,  helieved  to  be 
more  important.      The  treaty  was  confirmed  the  same  month. 

II.     What  Dr.  Whitman  did. 

On  May  16,  1842,  the  emigration  of  that  year  left  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  for  Oregon.  This  had  been  for  many  years 
the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  emigrants  before  making  their 
regular  start  across  the  Continent.  The  start  was  made  forty- 
two  days  after  Lord  Ashburton's  arrival  at  Washington.  In 
this  emigration  were  a  hundred  and  twelve  persons,  among 
whom  were  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  Medorem  Crawford  and  Dr.  E. 
White,  the  newly  appointed  Indian  Agent  for  Oregon.  The 
two  latter  kept  journals  of  this  trip  which  have  been  published. 
Mr.  Crawford  arrived  at  Dr.  Whitman's  September  14,  but  Dr. 
White  several  days  earlier,  having  left  the  main  party  August 
23rd  [They  left  their  wagons  at  Fort  Hall].  They  brought 
letters  for  Dr.  Whitman  and  news  about  Oregon  and  Lord 
Ashburton.  Some  of  the  letters  had  reference  to  the  discon- 
tinuance of  the  southern  stations  of  the  mission,  which  has 
already  been  treated  of  in  the  last  chapter.  These  emigrants  L 
gave  Dr.  Whitman  information  about  the  danger  of  the  United 
States  losing  Oregon.  This  aroused  him  still  more.  He  called 
a  meeting  of  the  mission  to  discuss  various  subjects,  the  most 
important  one  being  that  a  purpose  of  his  to  go  East  imme- 
diately to  do  what  he  could  to  save  Oregon  to  the  United 
States  be  approved.  The  meeting  was  held  September  20-28, 
and  although  Messrs.  Walker  and  Eells  thoroughly  disap- 
proved of  it,  yet  when  they  found  how  earnest  he  was,  and 
that  he  was  determined  to  go,  even  if  he  had  to  resign  his 
connection  with  the  mission  to  do  so,  they  voted  in  favor  of 
it,  as  did  all  the  rest.  The  time  set  for  his  departure  was 
October  fifth,  and  letters  were  to  be  prepared  and  forwarded 
1o  him  to  carry  East  accordingly.  For  some  reason  he  started 
two  days  earlier,  and  when  the  letters  of  Messrs.  Walker  and 
Eells  reached  his  station,  he  was  already  two  days  on  the 
way.      Mr.  Lovejoy,  under  date  of  February  1  I,  187(5,  furnished 


156  Marcus  Whitman 

the  following  graphic   description  of  the  sufferings  endured 
during  this  journey:1 

"We  left  Waiilatpu  October  3,  1842,  traveled  rapidly, 
reached  Fort  Hall  in  eleven  days,  remained  two  davs  to  re- 
cruit  and  make  a  few  purchases.  The  Doctor  engaged  a  guide, 
and  we  left  for  Fort  White.  We  changed  from  a  direct  route 
to  one  more  southern,  through  the  Spanish  country,  via  Salt 
Lake,  Taos  and  Santa  Fe.  On  our  way  from  Fort  Hall  to 
Fort  Winte  we  had  terribly  severe  weather.  The  snows  re- 
tarded our  progress  and  blinded  the  trail,  so  we  lost  much 
time.  After  arriving  at  Fort  Winte,  and  making  some  pur- 
chases for  our  trip,  we  took  a  new  guide  and  started  for  Fort 
Uncumpagra,  situated  on  the  waters  of  Grand  River,  in  the 
Spanish  country.  Here  our  stay  was  very  short.  We  took  a 
new  guide  and  started  for  Taos.  After  being  out  some  four 
or  five  days  we  encountered  a  terrific  snow  storm,  which  forced 
us  to  seek  shelter  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  we  remained  snowed 
in  for  four  days,  at  which  time  the  storm  had  somewhat 
abated,  and  we  attempted  to  make  our  way  out  upon  the  high- 
lands, but  the  snow  was  so  deep  and  the  winds  so  piercing  and 
cold,  we  were  compelled  to  return  to  camp  and  wait  a  few 
days  for  a  change  of  weather.  Our  next  effort  to  reach  the 
highlands  was  more  successful ;  but,  after  spending  several 
days  wandering  around  in  the  snow,  without  making  much 
headway,  our  guide  told  us  that  the  deep  snow  had  so  changed 
the  face  of  the  country  that  he  was  completely  lost  and  could 
take  us  no  further.  This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  Doctor, 
but  he  was  determined  not  to  give  it  up  without  another  effort. 

We  at  once  agreed  that  the  Doctor  should  take  the  guide 
and  return  to  Fort  Uncumpagra  and  get  a  new  guide,  and  I 
remain  in  camp  with  the  animals  until  he  could  return,  which 
he  did  in  seven  days  with  our  new  guide,  and  we  were  now 
on  our  route  again.      Nothing  of  much  import  occurred  but 

1  This  letter  was  written  to  Rev.  G.  H.  Atkinson,  D.D..  and  was 
first  published  in  an  address  of  his  delivered  before  "The  Pioneer  and 
Historical  Society  of  Oregon,"  Feb.  22,  1876.  It  appears  in  the 
"Biography  of  Dr.  Atkinson,"  p.  272.  A  very  similar  one  to  W.  H. 
Gray  is  found  in  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  324,  dated  Novem- 
ber 6,  1869. 


LOST  in  tin;  snow 


National  Work  1 5  7 

hard  and  slow  traveling  through  deep  snow  until  we  reached 
Grand  River,  which  was  frozen  on  either  side  about  one-third 
across.  Although  so  intensely  cold,  the  current  was  so  very 
rapid  that  about  one-third  of  the  river  in  the  center  was  not 
frozen.  Our  guide  thought  it  would  be  dangerous  to  attempt 
to  cross  the  river  in  its  present  condition,  but  the  Doctor,  noth- 
ing daunted,  was  the  first  to  take  the  water.  He  mounted  his 
horse ;  the  guide  and  myself  shoved  the  Doctor  and  his  horse 
off  the  ice  into  the  foaming  stream.  Away  he  went,  com- 
pletely under  water,  horse  and  all,  but  directly  came  up,  and 
after  buffeting  the  rapid  foaming  current,  he  reached  the  ice 
on  the  opposite  shore  a  long  way  down  the  stream.  He  leaped 
from  his  horse  upon  the  ice  and  soon  had  his  noble  animal  by 
bis  side.  The  guide  and  myself  forced  in  the  pack  animals, 
and  followed  the  Doctor's  example,  and  were  soon  on  the  op- 
posite shore,  drying  our  frozen  clothes  by  a  comfortable  fire. 
We  reached  Taos  in  about  thirty  days,  having  suffered  greatly 
from  cold  and  scarcity  of  provisions.  We  were  compelled  to 
use  mule  meat,  dogs  and  such  other  animals  as  came  in  our 
reach.  We  remained  at  Taos  a  few  days  only,  and  started  for 
Bent's  and  Savery's  Fort,  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Arkansas 
River.  When  we  had  been  out  some  fifteen  or  twenty  days 
we  met  George  Bent,  a  brother  of  Governor  Bent,  on  his  way 
to  Taos.  He  told  us  that  a  party  of  mountain  men  would  leave 
Bent's  Fort  in  a  few  days  for  St.  Louis,  but  said  we  would  not 
reach  the  fort  with  our  pack  animals  in  time  to  join  the  party. 
The  Doctor,  being  very  anxious  to  join  the  party  so  he  could 
push  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Washington,  concluded  to 
leave  myself  and  guide  with  the  animals,  and  he  himself,  tak- 
ing the  best  animal,  with  some  bedding  and  a  small  allowance 
of  provision,  started  alone,  hoping  by  rapid  travel  to  reach  the 
fort  in  time  to  join  the  St.  Bonis  party,  but  (o  do  so  he  would 
have  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  something  we  had  not  done 
before.  Myself  and  guide  traveled  on  slowly  and  reached  the 
fort  in  four  days,  but  imagine  our  astonishment  when  on  mak- 
ing inquiry  about  the  Doctor  we  were  told  thai  he  had  not  ar- 
rived nor  had  he  been  heard  of.  I  learned  that  the  party  tor 
St.  Louis  was  camped  ;il  the  Big  Cottonwood,  forty  miles  from 
the  fort,  and  at  my  requesl  Mr.  Savery  seal  an  express,  tell- 


158  Marcus  Whitman 

ing  the  party  not  to  proceed  any  further  until  we  learned 
something  of  Dr.  Whitman's  whereabouts,  as  he  wished  to  ac- 
company them  to  St.  Louis.  Being  furnished  by  the  gentle- 
man of  the  fort  with  a  suitable  guide,  I  started  in  search  of 
the  Doctor,  and  traveled  up  the  river  about  one  hundred  miles. 
I  learned  from  the  Indians  that  a  man  had  been  there  who 
was  lost  and  was  trying  to  find  Bent's  Fort.  They  said  they 
had  directed  him  to  go  down  the  river  and  Iioav  to  find  the 
fort.  I  knew  from  their  description  it  was  the  Doctor.  I 
returned  to  the  fort  as  rapidly  as  possible,  but  the  Doctor  had 
not  arrived.      We  had  all  become  very  anxious  about  him. 

"Late  in  the  afternoon  he  came  in  very  much  fatigued  and 
desponding;  said  that  he  knew  that  God  had  bewildered  him 
to  punish  him  for  traveling  on  the  Sabbath.  During  the  whole 
trip  he  was  very  regular  in  his  morning  and  evening  devotions, 
and  that  was  the  only  time  I  ever  knew  him  to  travel  on  the 
Sabbath. 

"The  Doctor  remained  all  night  at  the  fort,  starting  early 
on  the  following  morning  to  join  the  St.  Louis  party.  Here 
we  parted.  The  Doctor  proceeded  to  Washington.  I  re- 
mained at  Bent's  Fort  until  spring,  and  joined  the  Doctor  the 
following  July  near  Fort  Laramie,  on  his  way  to  Oregon,  in 
company  with  a  train  of  emigrants." 

When  they  reached  Fort  Hall  Captain  Grant,  desirous  to 
prevent  the  Doctor  from  going,  told  him  a  falsehood,  that  a 
war  had  broken  out  between  the  Pawnees  and  Cheyennes,  and 
that  it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  proceed.  But  this  did  not  stop 
the  Doctor,  though  he  took  a  route  far  to  the  south  through 
New  Mexico;  but  it  was  evidently  bis  salvation,  for  because 
of  the  great  depth  of  snow  which  fell  that  winter  and  the  extra 
severe  cold,  the  party  would  probably  have  perished  had  they 
taken  the  usual  route. 

The  width  of  the  Grand  River  where  they  crossed  it  was 
about  six  hundred  feet,  making  two  hundred  feet  of  ice  on 
each  side.  General  Lovejoy  afterwards  told  Colonel  J.  K. 
Kelley,  who  was  at  one  time  United  States  Senator  from  Ore- 
gon, that  when  "they  were  penned  in  that  dreadful  ravine,  they 
one  evening  saw  a  camp  fire  on  the  bluffs  above,  and  Whitman 
made  his  way  up  the  steep  bank  to  learn  if  they  were  savages 


National  Work  159 

or  white  men.  He  had  reached  where  a  fallen  tree  protected 
him  from  their  view,  and  soon  saw  that  they  were  whites, 
though  they  used  the  Spanish  language.  They  were  surprised 
when  he  appeared,  and  seized  their  guns,  but  when  they  real- 
ized his  being  a  white  man,  greeted  him  cordially,  and  sent  some 
down  to  assist  his  friends  up  there  with  their  animals.  They 
were  a  company  from  Taos,  New  Mexico,  who  had  hunted 
buffalo.  They  had  abundance  of  jerked  meat,  fed  them  bounti- 
fully, treated  them  kindly,  and  took  them  to  Taos.  It  was  a 
friendly  procedure."1 

On  account  of  the  loss  of  valuable  time  provisions  became 
short.  A  dog  that  had  followed  them  was  eaten ;  a  mule 
came  next,  presumably  not  fat,  after  its  journey,  but  it  lasted 
them  to  Santa  Fe.  When  they  came  to  one  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Arkansas  River  it  was  frozen  over,  but  with  ice  hardly 
thick  enough  to  bear  a  man,  and  the  firewood  was  all  across  the 
river.  Wood  they  must  have;  so  the  Doctor  took  the  ax  and 
wormed  himself  across  the  stream.  Having  obtained  plenty 
of  wood  he  skated  it  back  and  returned  it  safety;  but  unfor- 
tunately split  the  ax-helve.  It  was  tied  up  with  a  piece  of 
fresh  deer  skin,  but  as  it  lay  at  the  edge  of  the  tent  that  night 
a  hungry  wolf,  wishing  for  the  piece  of  deer  skin,  stole  it  and 
also  the  ax.  Had  this  occurred  a  ihousand  miles  back,  there 
is  no  telling  what  might  have  been  the  result,  for  an  ax  was 
one  of  the  most  necessary  articles  of  camping.2 

When  Dr.  Whitman  arrived  at  St.  Louis  he  made  his  home 
at  the  house  of  Dr.  Edward  Hale,  a  dentist.  In  the  same 
house  was  William  Barrows,  then  a  young  school  teacher,  af- 
terward a  clergyman  and  author  of  Barrows'  Oregon. 

Reaching  Cincinnati,  he  went  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Weed.3 
Here,  according  to  Prof.  Weed,'  he  obtained  a  new  suit  of 
clothes,  but  whether  he  wore  them  all  the  time  until  he  left 

1  From  a  forthcoming  volume  by  S.  A.  Clarke. 
"How    Marcus    Whitman    Saved    Oregon,"   by    O.    W.    Nixon,    pp. 
117,  118. 

'The  father  of  Professor  George  L.  Weed,  who  has  written  two 
articles  about  him,  one  in  the  "Philadelphia  Public  Ledger"  of  May  25, 
L895,  and  the  other  in  the  "Ladies'  Home  Journal"  of  November,  1897. 

4  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  Chapter   18. 


1  60  Marcus  Whitman 

the  East  or  not  is  a  question.  Some  writers  speak  of  him  as 
appearing  in  his  buckskins,  or  something  akin  to  them,  after- 
wards both  at  Washington  and  Boston.  Some,  as  Dr.  S.  J. 
Parker,  say  he  was  not  so  dressed.  It  is  just  barely  possible 
that  both  may  be  true — that  he  kept  his  buckskins  and  buffalo 
coat  and  occasionally  wore  them.  It  is  quite  certain  that  he 
did  not  throw  them  away,  as  according  to  accounts  he  wore 
his  buckskins  in  returning  to  Oregon  the  next  summer.1 

The  next  visit  on  record  was  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  at  the 
home  of  his  old  missionary  friend  and  fellow  traveler,  Rev. 
Samuel  Parker.  Here  after  the  surprise  of  his  arrival  was 
over,  he  said  to  Mr.  Parker :  "I  have  come  on  a  very  important 
errand.  We  must  both  go  at  once  to  Washington,  or  Oregon 
is  lost,  ceded  to  the  English."  Mr.  Parker,  however,  did  not 
think  the  danger  to  be  so  great,  and  not  for  lack  of  interest  in 
the  subject,  but  because  of  other  reasons,  did  not  go.  Dr. 
Whitman  went  alone,  and  reached  Washington.2 

The  Doctor,  or  his  brother,  had  been  a  classmate  of  the 
Secretary  of  War,  James  M.  Porter.  Through  him  the  Doctor 
obtained  an  introduction  to  Daniel  Webster,  then  Secretary 
of  State,  with  whom  he  talked  about  Oregon  and  the  saving  of 
it  to  the  United  States,  but  Mr.  Webster  received  him  very 
coolly,  and  told  him  it  was  too  late,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned, 
for  he  had  considered  it,  decided  it,  and  turned  it  over  to  the 
President,  who  could  sign  Oregon  away  or  refuse  to  do  so. 
Accordingly  Dr.  Whitman  went  to  President  Tyler,  and  for 
some  time  they  talked  about  Oregon.  Even  the  Cabinet  were 
called  together,  it  is  said,  and  an  evening  was  spent  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  objection  was  made  that  wagons  could  never  be 
taken  to  Oregon  and  that  consequently  the  country  could  never 
be  peopled  overland  by  emigrants,  while  the  distance  around 
Cape  Horn  was  altogether  too  great  to  think  of  taking  settlers 
to  the  country  in  that  way.  In  reply  to  this,  Dr.  Whitman 
told  of  the  great  value  of  the  country  and  of  his  plans  to  lead 
an  emigration  through  with  their  wagons  the  next  summer. 
He  stated  that  he  had  taken  a  wagon  into  Oregon  six  years 

1  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  pp.  174-177. 

2  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  15. 


National  Work  161 

before  to  Fort  Boise,  that  others  had  taken  one  from  Fort  Hall 
to  Walla  Walla,  and  that  with  his  present  knowledge,  having 
been  over  the  route  twice,  he  was  sure  he  could  take  the  emi- 
grant wagons  through  to  the  Columbia.  The  President  then 
said  that  he  would  wait,  before  carrying  the  negotiations  any 
further,  until  he  could  hear  whether  Dr.  Whitman  should  suc- 
ceed, and  if  he  should  there  would  be  no  more  thought  of  trad- 
ing off  Oregon.     This  satisfied  the  Doctor. 

He  then  went  to  New  York  to  see  Mr.  Horace  Greeley,  who 
was  known  to  be  a  friend  of  Oregon.  He  went  there  dressed 
in  his  rough  clothes,  much  the  same  that  he  wore  across  the 
Continent.      When  he  knocked  at  the  door  a  ladv  came,  Mrs. 

mi 

Greeley  or  a  daughter,  who,  on  seeing  such  a  rough-looking 
person,  said  to  his  inquiries  for  Mr.  Greeley,  "Not  at  home." 
Dr.  Whitman  started  away.  She  went  and  told  Mr.  Greeley 
about  him,  and  Mr.  Greeley,  who  was  of  much  the  same  style 
and  cared  but  little  for  appearances,  looked  out  of  the  window, 
and  seeing  him  going  away,  said  to  call  him  in.  It  was  done, 
and  they  had  a  long  talk  about  this  Northwest  Coast  and  its 
political  relations.1 

From  New  York  Dr.  Whitman  went  to  Boston,  where  the 
officers  of  the  American  Board  at  first  received  him  coldly,  be- 
cause he  had  left  his  station  for  the  East  without  permission 
from  them,  on  business  so  foreign  to  that  which  he  had  been 
sent  to  Oregon  to  accomplish.  Afterwards,  however,  they 
treated  him  more  cordially. 

From  Boston  he  went  to  New  York  State  and  visited  rela- 
tives. Then  taking  with  him  his  nephew,  Perrin  B.  Whitman, 
he  bade  them  good-bye  and  left  for  Missouri.  While  there  he 
did  all  he  could  to  induce  people  to  join  the  emigration  for  Ore- 
gon, then  went  with  the  emigration,  assisting  the  guide,  Cap- 
tain Gantt,  until  they  reached  Fort  Hall,  and  aiding  the  emi- 
grants very  materially.  Fort  Hall  was  as  far  as  Captain 
Gantt  had  agreed  to  guide  them,  and  from  that  place  Dr.  Whit- 
man guided  them  or  furnished  an  Indian  guide,  so  that  the 
emigrants  reached  the  Columbia  River  safely  with  (heir  wagons. 

"Testimony    of    Hon.    A.    Hinman,    Eclls'    "Whitman    Pamphlet," 
p.   14. 


1  62  Marcus  Whitman 

"Over  the  hills  rode  Whitman, 

Scaled  the  snow-capped  mountain  wall, 
Over  the  pathless  plains  in  winter, 

Boldest  rider  of  them  all. 
Down  deep  ravines,  in  canyons  hoary, 

Over  roaring,  rapid  streams, 
Through  savage  lands,  with  murder  gory, 

The  eye  of  the  statesman  gleams; 
For  he  sees  far  off  in  the  future 

For  his  own  fair  country  won, 
The  wonderful  vales  and  hills  and  dales, 

Of  bounteous  Oregon. 

Over  the  hills  rode  Whitman, 

Bearing  an  empire's  fate, 
From  sea  to  sea  on  his  good  gray  steed, 

A  courier  that  could  not  wait — 
Far  away  to  the  west  was  a  fairer  land 

Than  Moses  beheld  of  old, 
A  land  of  fruits  and  evergreen  hills, 

Where  the  gray  Columbia  rolled. 

Over  the  hills  rode  Whitman, 

And  into  the  halls  of  State, 
Where  Webster  sat  with  kinglv  men 

Engaged  in  high  debate. 
There  in  the  nation's  Congress 

Our  missionary  won 
The  rich  veined  hills  and  laughing  rills 

Of  bounteous  Oregon."1 

1Mrs.  E.  E.  Dye,  in  October,  1891. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


NATIONAL    WORK.       OBJECTIONS. 


Six  objections  have  been  made  to  the  statements  in  the  last 
chapter  in  regard  to  what  Dr.  Whitman  did.  It  has  been 
said  that  he  did  not  go  East  with  any  national  object  in  view, 
or  even  to  Washington;  that  he  did  not  do  anything  to  save 
Oregon  or  any  part  of  it  to  the  United  States;  that  at  that 
time  it  was  impossible  for  him  or  any  one  to  have  done  so,  as 
there  was  no  danger  of  Oregon  being  lost;  that  the  whole 
story  was  an  immense  afterthought,  gotten  up  for  some  special 
purpose ;  that  he  did  nothing  worthy  of  mention  to  induce  the 
immigration  of  1843  to  start ;  and  that  he  likewise  did  nothing 
worth  speaking  of  to  enable  it  to  reach  the  Columbia  River. 
These  objections  will  now  be  considered,  the  first  four  in  this 
chapter  and  the  remaining  two  in  the  next. 

It  is  true  that  much  of  the  evidence  given  is  from  memory 
and  written  many  years  after  the  events  occurred,  but  the 
reason  is  that  the  objections  were  never  made  public  until 
thirty-five  or  forty  years  after  Dr.  Whitman  went  East.  It 
has  been  said  that  such  evidence  is  uot  good  when  unaccom- 
panied with  contemporary  written  documents,  but  to  the  au- 
thor this  objection  is  of  little  weight.  Members  of  the  West- 
ern historical  and  pioneer  societies  know  well  that  one  great 
object  of  these  societies  is  to  rescue  from  oblivion  important 
items  of  history,  while  the  actors  and  witnesses  are  living,  even 
though  they  may  be  three  score  and  ten  or  four  score  years 
old,  and  though  the  events  may  have  occurred  forty  to  sixty 
years  previous.  There  are  very  many  persons  in  the  West 
who  have  seen  and  helped  to  make  important  events  of  history, 


164  Marcus  Whitman 

but  who  never  had  the  advantage  of  a  good  education  and  to 
whom  writing  is  so  great  a  task  that  they  seldom  write  any- 
thing for  publication.  These  historical  societies  are  glad  to 
write  down  and  publish  the  statements  of  such  persons,  even 
if  they  are  made  two  or  three  score  years  after  the  events  oc- 
curred. 

1.  The  first  objection  to  be  considered  is  that  Dr.  Whit- 
man, when  he  went  East,  went  solely  on  missionary  business, 
to  save  his  station  and  that  of  Mr.  Spalding  from  being  given 
up,  and  to  procure  more  laborers,  but  that  he  had  no  national 
object  in  view,  and  that  he  did  not  even  go  to  Washington. 

(a)  Dr.  Gushing  Eells  arrived  in  Oregon  in  1838,  was  one 
of  Dr.  Whitman's  co-laborers,  was  present  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Oregon  mission  which  authorized  the  Doctor  to  go,  and  was 
its  clerk.  He  says  in  a  statement,  sworn  before  L.  E.  Kellogg, 
a  Notary  Public  in  Spokane  County,  August  23,  1883:  "Sep- 
tember, 1842,  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Whitman,  addressed  to 
Rev.  Messrs.  E.  Walker  and  C.  Eells  at  Tshimakain,  reached 
its  destination,  and  was  received  by  the  persons  to  whom  it 
was  written.  By  the  contents  of  said  letter,  a  meeting  of  the 
Oregon  Mission  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions  was  invited  to  be  held  at  Waiilatpu.  The 
object  of  said  meeting,  as  stated  in  the  letter  named,  was  to 
approve  of  a  purpose  formed  by  Dr.  Whitman  that  he  go  East 
on  behalf  of  Oregon,  as  related  to  the  United  States.  In  the 
judgment  of  Mr.  Walker  and  myself  that  object  was  foreign 
to  our  assigned  work.  With  troubled  thoughts  we  anticipated 
the  proposed  meeting.  On  the  following  day,  Wednesday,  we 
started,  and  on  Saturday,  P.  M.,  camped  on  the  Touchet,  at 
the  ford  near  the  Mullan  bridge.  We  were  pleased  with  the 
prospect  of  enjoying  a  period  of  rest,  reflection  and  prayer — 
needful  preparation  for  the  antagonism  of  opposing  ideas. 
We  never  moved  camp  on  the  Lord's  Day.  On  Monday,  A.  M., 
we  arrived  at  Waiilatpu,  and  met  the  two  resident  families  of 
Messrs.  Whitman  and  Gray.  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  was  there. 
All  the  male  members  of  the  mission  were  thus  together.      In 


National  Work — Objections  ]  65 

the  discussion  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Walker  and  myself  remained 
unchanged.  The  purpose  of  Dr.  Whitman  was  fixed.  In  his 
estimation  the  saving  of  Oregon  to  the  United  States  was  of 
paramount  importance,  and  he  would  make  the  attempt  to  do 
so,  even  if  he  had  to  withdraw  from  the  mission  in  order  to  ac- 
complish his  purpose.  In  reply  to  considerations  intended  to 
hold  Dr.  Whitman  to  his  assigned  work,  he  said :  'I  am  not 
expatriated  by  becoming  a  missionary.'  The  idea  of  his  with- 
drawal could  not  be  entertained,  therefore  to  retain  him  in  the 
mission  a  vote  to  approve  of  his  making  the  perilous  endeavor 
prevailed.  He  had  a  cherished  object,  for  the  accomplishment 
of  which  he  desired  consultation  with  Rev.  David  Greene,  secre- 
tary of  correspondence  with  the  mission  at  Boston,  Mass.,  but 
I  have  no  recollection  that  it  was  named  in  the  meeting.  A 
part  of  two  days  was  spent  in  consultation.  Record  of  the 
date  and  acts  of  the  meeting  was  made.  The  book  containing 
the  same  was  in  the  keeping  of  the  Whitman  family.  At  the 
time  of  their  massacre,  Nov.  29,  1847,  it  disappeared.  The 
fifth  day  of  October  following  was  designated  as  the  day  on 
which  Dr.  Whitman  would  expect  to  start  from  Waiilatpu. 
Accordingly  letters,  of  which  he  was  to  be  the  bearer,  were  re- 
quired to  be  furnished  him  at  his  station  in  accordance  there- 
with. Mr.  Walker  and  myself  returned  to  Tshimakain,  pre- 
pared letters,  and  forwarded  them  seasonably  to  Waiilatpu. 
By  the  return  of  the  courier  information  was  received  that  Dr. 
Whitman  started  on  the  3rd  of  October.  It  is  possible  that 
transpirings  at  old  Fort  Walla  Walla  hastened  his  departure 
two  days. 

"Soon  after  his  return  1o  this  coast,  Dr.  Whitman  said  to 
me  he  wished  be  could  return  East  immediately,  as  he  believed 
he  could  accomplish  more  than  he  bad  done,  as  1  understood 
him  to  mean,  to  save  Ibis  country  to  the  United  States.  I 
asked  hi m  why  he  could  not  go.  He  said,  'I  cannot  go  without 
seeing  m,.s.  Whitman.'  She  was  (hen  in  the  Willamette 
Vallev." 


I  66  Marcus  Whitman 

This  meeting  was  held  September  2G-28,  according  to  Dr. 
Eells'  memory  and  Mr.  Walker's  journal  of  that  time.1 

(b)  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Walker  came  to  Oregon  at  the  same  time 
as  Dr.  Eells  and  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  E.  Walker.  As  it  had 
not  been  publicly  denied  at  this  time  that  Dr.  Whitman  went 
East  for  national  purposes,  it  was  not  possible  to  obtain  the 
evidence  of  Mr.  Walker,  because  he  died  in  1877.  Mrs.  Walker 
says: 

"Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  June  ,  '83. 
Rev.  M.  Eells : 

Sir — In  answer  to  your  inquiries  about  Dr.  Whitman,  I 
will  say  that  he  went  East  in  1842,  mainly  to  save  the  country 
from  falling  into  the  hands  of  England,  as  he  believed  there 
was  great  danger  of  it.  He  had  written  Mr.  Walker  several 
times  before  about  it.      One  expression  I  well  remember  he 

1  The  following  is  from  Mr.  Walker's  journal  of  September  28, 
1842:  "Then  (some  time  after  breakfast)  the  question  was  submitted 
to  us  of  the  Doctor's  going  home,  which  we  felt  that  it  was  of  too 
much  importance  to  be  decided  in  a  moment,  but  finally  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  if  he  could  put  things  at  that  station  in  such  a  state, 
we  would  consent  to  his  going,  and  with  that  left  them  and  made  a 
start  for  home."  At  first  it  seems  as  if  this  contradicted  Dr.  Eells' 
statement  in  regard  to  their  having  heard  of  this  desire  before  leaving 
their  station,  but  it  is  not  necessarily  so.  If  either  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses were  to  arise  today  and  say  that  the  letters  were  received  as 
Dr.  Eells  states;  that  they  went  to  Dr.  Whitman's  dreading  all  the 
time  to  discuss  the  matter;  that  on  arrival  on  Monday  they  had  at 
first  heard  nothing  about  his  proposed  trip  East  and  hoped  that  the 
project  had  been  abandoned,  and  themselves  had  said  nothing  on  the 
subject,  but  that  on  Wednesday  he  spoke  of  it,  we  would  believe 
them.  The  writer  has  been  through  exactly  similar  experiences.  No 
one  who  knew  Dr.  Eells  will  believe  that  he  either  forgot  or  mis- 
stated purposely  the  above,  as  he  was  noted  for  his  integrity  and  his 
tenacious  memory.  Before  Mr.  Walker's  journal  had  been  searched, 
the  writer  heard  Dr.  Eells  trying  to  fix  the  date  of  the  meeting.  Hav- 
ing October  3rd  as  the  date  of  Dr.  Whitman's  leaving,  for  a  starting 
point,  he  then  counted  backward  the  camping  places  of  the  trip  and 
what  he  did  each  day,  until  he  had  fixed  September  26-28  as  the  date 
of  the  meeting,  exactly  as  recorded  in  Mr.  Walker's  journal,  although 
between  thirty-five  and  forty  years  had  intervened.  Dr.  Eells  did 
forget  many  things,  but  what  he  remembered  he  remembered  very 
correctly  almost  universally. 


National  Work — Objections  1  67 

wrote,  about  as  follows:  'This  country  will  soon  be  settled 
by  the  whites.  It  belongs  to  the  Americans.  It  is  a  great 
and  rich  country.  What  a  country  this  would  be  for  Yankees? 
Why  not  tell  them  of  it.'  He  was  determined  to  go  East  on 
this  business,  even  if  he  had  to  leave  the  mission  to  do  so."1 

[Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  came  to  Oregon  in  1836  with  Dr. 
Whitman.  He  died  in  1874,  before  the  controversy  in  regard 
to  Dr.  Whitman  arose,  hence  his  statement  with  direct  refer- 
ence to  this  subject  was  not  obtained.  In  a  general  way, 
however,  he  left  a  statement,  but  it  is  evidently  so  full  of  mis- 
takes that  it  will  be  considered  separately  in  Chapter  IX.] 

(c)  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray  came  to  Oregon  in  1836  with  Dr. 
W  hitman,  and  was  connected  with  the  mission  from  that  time 
until  1842.  He  says  that  the  Doctor  said  to  him,  as  he  bade 
him  good-bye  and  mounted  his  horse  to  see  what  could  be  done 
at  Washington,  "If  the  Board  dismisses  me,  I  will  do  what  I 
can  to  save  my  country."  He  also  said,  "My  life  is  of  but  little 
worth  if  I  can  save  this  country  for  the  American  people." 

(d)  William  Geiger,  M.  D.,  lived  at  Forest  Grove,  Oregon, 
a  man  of  unquestioned  integrity.  In  a  statement  sworn  to  be- 
fore S.  Hughes,  a  Notary  Public  of  that  place,  he  says : 

•'Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  June  5,  1883. 
Rev.  M.  Eel  Is: 

Sir — In  answer  to  your  inquiries  about  Dr.  M.  Whitman  I 
will  say  that  I  came  to  this  country  in  1839,  and  was  at  Dr. 
Whitman's  request  in  charge  of  his  station  in  1842-3  while  he 
went  East,  and  remained  there  after  his  return  about  three 
weeks,  and  had  many  conversations  with  him  on  the  object  of 
his  going,  after  his  return.    I  was  there  again  in  1845  and  1846. 

His  main  object  in  going  East  was  to  save  the  country  to 
the  United  States,  as  he  believed  there  was  great  danger  of  its 
falling  into  the  hands  of  England.  Incidentally  he  intended  to 
obtain  more  missionary  help,  and  for  this  object  I  sent  provis- 
ions to  Fort  Hall  for  them  in  1843.  The  immigration  of  1842, 
especially  Mr.  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  brought  word  that  there  was  dan- 

1  Eells'  "Whitman    Pamphlet,"  p.   II. 

2  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  609. 


1  68  Marcus  Whitman 

ger  that  the  English  would  obtain  Oregon,  hence  Dr.  Whit- 
man went  East." ' 

(e)  Hon.  Alanson  Hinman  now  lives  at  Forest  Grove, 
Oregon.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Oregon  Legislature; 
since  1854,  one  of  the  trustees  of  Pacific  University,  at  Forest 
Grove,  and  for  twenty  years  President  of  the  Board.  His  tes- 
timony is  as  follows: 

"Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  June  8,  1883. 
Rev.  M.  Eells : 

Sir — In  answer  to  your  inquiries  about  Dr.  Whitman,  I 
will  say  that  I  came  to  this  coast  in  1844,  and  remained  that 
winter  at  Walla  Walla  (then  Waiilatpu)  teaching  school  for 
Dr.  M.  Whitman.  About  the  next  June  (1845),  I  came  to  the 
Willamette  with  Dr.  Whitman.  In  1847,  at  the  time  of  his 
massacre,  I  was  temporarily  in  charge  of  the  station  at  The 
Dalles,  with  Mr.  P.  B.  Whitman. 

Dr.  Whitman  told  me  that  he  went  East  in  1842  with  two 
objects,  one  to  assist  the  mission,  the  other  to  save  the  country 
to  the  United  States.  I  do  not  think  he  would  have  gone  that 
winter  had  it  not  been  that  the  danger  seemed  to  him  very 
great  that  the  country  would  be  obtained  by  England,  but 
would  have  deferred  the  journey  until  spring." 

(f )  A.  L.  Lovejoy  was  Dr.  Whitman's  traveling  companion 
during  his  journey  East  in  1842-3.  Afterwards  he  was  several 
times  a  member  of  the  Oregon  Legislature,  President  of  its 
Council  (Senate),  Attorney-General  of  the  Territory,  its  Chief 
Justice,  Mayor  of  Oregon  City,  and  a  member  of  the  convention 
that  formed  the  constitution  of  Oregon.  Few  of  the  pioneers 
have  done  more  for  the  State  or  have  been  more  honored  by  it 
than  Mr.  Lovejoy.  He  says  that  ''The  whole  burden  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  speech  during  the  long  ride  was  to  immediately 
terminate  the  treaties  of  1818  and  1828,  and  extend  the  laws 
of  the  United  States  over  Oregon." " 

Says  the  editor  of  the  Willamette  Farmer:  "Mrs.  Lovejoy 
assures  us  that  he  (Mr.  Lovejoy)  was  aware  of  Whitman's  aims 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  3. 

2  Paper  by  Miss  M.  S.  Barlow,  in  "Oregon  Pioneer  Transactions," 
1895,  p.  74. 


A.     L.    LOVIMOY 


National  Work — Objections  1  69 

and  motives;  knew  that  his  great  object  in  the  journey  was 
to  save  Oregon  from  British  rule,  and  gives  him  credit  in  great 
part  for  accomplishing  his  patriotic  intention."1 

Again,  after  giving  an  account  of  his  trip  across  the  Conti- 
nent: "Here  we  parted  (at  Bent's  Fort).  The  Doctor  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington.  I  remained  at  Bent's  Fort  until  spring 
and  joined  the  Doctor  the  following  July  near  Fort  Laramie 
on  his  way  to  Oregon,  in  company  with  a  train  of  emigrants. 
He  often  expressed  himself  to  me  about  the  remainder  of  his 
journey,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  was  received  at  Washing- 
ton." ' 

'  (g)  Perrin  B.  Whitman  came  to  Oregon  in  1843  with  his 
uncle.  He  says,  October  11,  1880 :  "Dr.  Whitman's  trip  East, 
in  the  winter  of  184243,  was  for  the  double  purpose  of  bring- 
ing an  immigration  across  the  plains,  and  also  to  prevent, 
if  possible,  the  trading  off  of  this  Northwest  Coast  to  the 
British  Government.  .  .  .  While  crossing  the  plains  I  re- 
peatedly heard  the  Doctor  express  himself  as  being  very  anx- 
ious to  succeed  in  opening  a  wagon  road  across  the  Continent 
to  the  Columbia  River,  and  thereby  stay,  if  not  entirely  pre- 
vent, the  trading  of  this  Northwest  Coast,  then  pending  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  the  British  Government.  In 
after  years  the  Doctor,  with  much  pride  and  satisfaction,  re- 
verted to  his  success  in  bringing  the  immigration  across  the 
plains,  and  thought  it  one  of  the  means  of  saving  Oregon  to 
his  government.  I  remained  with  him  continuously  till  Au- 
gust, 1847,  when  he  sent  me  to  The  Dalles." 3 

Again,  "I  heard  him  say  repeatedly  on  the  journey,  and 
after  we  reached  his  mission,  Waiilatpu,  that  he  went  to  the 
States  in  the  winter  of  1S42  and  1843  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
bringing  an  immigration  with  wagons  across  the  plains  to  Ore- 
gon." 

(h)  Rev.  William  Barrows,  D.D.,  afterwards  author  of 
Barrows'  Oregon,  but  then  a  school  teacher  in  St.  Louis,  met 
Dr.  Whitman  there.     He  says:     "It  was  my  good  fortune  that 

•    J  Seattle  "Post-Intelligencer,"  Nov.  17,  1882. 
2  "Biography  of  G.  H.  Atkinson,"  p.  274. 

'"Weekly  Astorian,"  Dec.  17,  1880,  and  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamph- 
let," p.  13. 


1  70  Marcus  Whitman 

he  should  be  quartered  at  St.  Louis  as  a  guest  under  the  same 
roof,  and  at  the  same  table  with  myself.  The  announcement 
of  his  arrival  in  the  little  city  of  twenty  thousand,  as  it  was 
then,  came  as  a  surprise  and  novelty.  In  those  times  it  was 
a  rare  possibility  for  one  to  come  up  in  mid-winter  from  Bent's 
Fort  or  Santa  Fe,  much  more  from  Fort  Hall  and  the  Colum- 
bia. The  Rocky  Mountain  men,  trappers  and  traders,  the  ad- 
venturers in  New  Mexico,  and  the  contractors  for  our  military 
posts,  the  Indian  men  laying  up  vast  fortunes,  half  from  the 
government  and  half  from  the  poor  Indian,  gathered  about  Dr. 
Whitman  for  fresh  news  from  their  places  of  interest.  Those 
who  had  friends  on  the  plains  or  in  the  mountains  or  in  Span- 
ish territory,  sought  opportunity  to  ply  him  with  questions, 
for  none  had  come  over  since  the  river  closed,  or  crossed  the 
frontier  inward  since  the  Avinter  set  in.  What  about  furs 
and  peltries?  How  many  buffalo  robes  would  come  down  by 
June  on  the  spring  rise  of  the  Missouri?  Were  the  Indian 
goods  at  the  posts  in  flush,  or  fair  or  scant  supply?  What 
tribes  were  on  the  war  path?  What  were  the  chances  of 
breaking  Indian  treaties,  and  for  removals  from  old  reserva- 
tions? Who  seemed  to  have  the  inside  favor  with  the  Indian 
Agents?  What  American  fur  traders  had  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  driven  to  the  wall?  What  could  he  say  of  the  last 
emigrant  company  for  Oregon  in  which  one  Amos  Lawrence 
Lovejoy  went  out?  What  had  become  of  so  and  so,  who  were 
in  previous  companies  that  broke  up  at  Fort  Hall? 

"•But  the  Doctor  was  in  great  haste,  and  could  not  delay  to 
talk  of  beaver  and  Indian  goods,  and  wars,  and  reservations, 
and  treaties.  He  had  questions  and  not  answers.  Was  the 
Ashburton  treaty  concluded?  Did  it  cover  the  Northwest? 
Where  and  what  and  whose  did  it  leave  Oregon?  He  was 
soon  answered.  Webster  and  Ashburton  had  signed  that 
treaty  on  the  9th  of  August  preceding.  On  the  20th  the  Sen- 
ate had  ratified  it,  and  on  the  tenth  of  November  President 
Tyler  had  proclaimed  it  the  law  of  the  land.  Then  instantly 
he  had  other  questions  for  his  St.  Louis  visitors.  Was  the 
Oregon  question  under  discussion  in  Congress?  What  opin- 
ions, projects  or  bills  concerning  it  were  being  urged  in  Senate 
and  House?     Would  anything  important  be  settled  before  the 


National  Work — Objections  1  7 1 

approaching  adjournment  on  The  fourth  of  March?  Could  he 
reach  Washington  before  the  adjournment?  He  must  leave 
at  once,  and  he  went. 

••Marcus  Whitman  once  seen,  and  in  our  family  circle,  tell- 
ing of  his  one  business — he  had  but  one — was  a  man  not  to  be 
forgotten  by  the  writer.  With  all  the  warmth,  and  almost 
burden,  of  skin  and  fur  clothing,  he  bore  the  marks  of  the  ir- 
resistible cold  and  merciless  storms  of  his  journey.  His  lin- 
gers, ears,  nose,  and  feet  had  been  frost-bitten,  and  were  giving 
him  much  trouble.  Dr.  Whitman  was  in  St.  Louis,  midway  be- 
tween Washington  and  Oregon,  and  carried  business  of  weighty 
import,  that  must  not  be  delayed  by  private  interests  and  cour- 
tesies. In  the  wilds  and  storms  of  the  mountains  he  had  fed 
on  mules  and  dogs,  yet  now  sumptuous  and  complimentary 
dinners  had  no  attraction  for  him.  He  was  happy  to  meet 
men  of  the  army  and  of  commerce  and  fur,  but  he  must  hasten 
on  to  see  Daniel  Webster.  Exchanging  saddle  for  stage — for 
the  river  was  closed  by  ice — he  pressed  on,  and  arrived  at 
Washington  March  3rd."1 

(i)  Rev.  Henry  M.  Field,  D.  D.,  afterwards  for  about 
forty  years  editor  of  the  New  York  Evangelist,  was  in  1842-3 
pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  church  in  St.  Louis.  He  says:  "I 
there  met  and  welcomed  Dr.  Whitman,  still  bearing  on  his 
person  the  marks  of  his  fatigue  and  sufferings,  and  was  one 
of  those  who  cheered  him  on  his  way  to  Washington,  where 
he  made  reports  to  government,  based  upon  a  personal  knowl- 
edge of  the  country,  of  which  hardly  another  man  at  the  cap- 
ital knew  anything.*'2 

(j)  Samuel  J.  Parker,  M.  D.,  was  the  son  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Parker,  who  came  to  Oregon  in  1835,  and  with  whom 
Dr.  Whitman  then  traveled  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Dr.  S.  J. 
Parker  was  in  1843  twenty-four  years  old.  In  a  letter  from 
Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  dated  February  1G,  1883,  to  the  author,  he  wrote: 
"I  was  at  home  in  the  room  in  which  I  now  write  (I  own  the 
old  homestead  i,  when  Dr.  Whitman  unexpectedly  arrived  in  a 
rather  rough,  but  not  as  outlandish  a  dress  as  some  writers 

'Barrows'  "Oregon,"  pp.  174-177. 
2"Oregonian,"  Nov.  21,  1895. 


1  72  Marcus  Whitman 

say  he  had  on.  After  the  surprise  of  his  arrival  was  over,  he 
said  to  my  father,  'We  must  both  go  at  once  to  'Washington, 
or  Oregon  is  lost,  ceded  to  the  English.'  " * 

(k)  Dr.  Edward  Hale,  M.  I).,  then  seventy  years  old,  wrote 
to  Eev.  H.  H.  Spalding,  in  a  letter  from  North  Cornwall,  Conn., 
dated  July  19,  1871 :  "I  had  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  Dr. 
Whitman  at  St.  Louis  on  his  last  visit  Eastward  to  confer  with 
the  President  and  heads  of  departments  in  relation  to  the  set- 
tlement of  the  northeastern  boundary  question  with  Great 
Britain,  by  bartering  away  for  a  song  the  whole  of  the  North- 
west Pacific  Territory.  Also  on  his  return  to  Oregon  my  house 
was  his  home  while  in  St.  Louis."2 

(1)  Says  Judge  James  Otis,  of  Chicago,  in  a  letter  to  Rev. 
Thomas  Laurie,  D.  D.,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1S85 :  "In  the 
month  of  April,  1843,  Dr.  M.  Whitman  and  myself  were  at  the 
same  hotel  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  waiting  for  the  ice  to  leave  the 
harbor  so  that  we  could  take  the  steamboat  for  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  After  some  four  days  we  took  the  stage  for  Dunkirk, 
and  thence  went  by  boat  to  Cleveland.  He  was  a  good  talker 
and  a  man  of  great  observation.  He  gave  me  an  account  of 
his  experience  among  the  western  Indians ;   his  trip  to  Wash- 


ington. 


11  3 


(m)  Says  Governor  Alexander  Ramsey,  of  Minnesota,  in 
a  letter  to  the  author,  dated  August  15,  1883 : 

"Dear  Sir:  I  was  first  elected  to  Congress  from  Pennsyl- 
vania in  October,  1842.  For  technical  reasons  the  election 
went  for  naught,  and  I  was  re-elected  in  1843,  and  again  in 
1845,  serving  throughout  the  28th  and  29th  Congresses,  from 
December,  1843,  to  March,  1847.  In  the  winter  of  1842-43  I 
visited   Washington   and   called   upon   Mr.   Joshua   Giddings, 

who  was  at  that  time  boarding  at  Mrs. ,  on  Capitol 

Hill,  in  what  was  then  called  Duff  Green's  Row.  The  building 
is  still  standing.  When  so  visiting,  Mr.  Giddings  introduced 
me  to  Dr.  Whitman,  who  talked  to  me  and  others  of  the  diffi- 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  15. 

2  This  letter  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  author's  heirs. 

3  "Missionary  Herald,"  18S5,  pp.  353,  354. 


National  Work — Objections  1  73 

cnlties  of  his  journey,  of  the  character  of  the  country,  Indian 
affairs,  British  encroachments,  etc."  * 

(n)     Dr.  Silas  Reed  saw  Whitman  in  Washington.2 

(o)  John  Tyler,  a  son  of  the  President,  and  his  private  sec- 
retary, said  that  "he  remembered  Whitman  very  well,  that  he 
was  in  Washington  1842-3,  full  of  his  project  to  carry  emi- 
grants to  Oregon,  that  he  waited  on  the  President,  and  re- 
ceived from  him  the  heartiest  concurrence  in  his  plans."  3 

(p)  Hines'  History  of  Oregon,  although  not  published  un- 
til 1851,  was  evidently  written  about  1845,  the  year  he  closed 
his  connection  with  the  Methodist  mission  and  returned  East, 
for  it  gives  no  material  history  of  the  country  after  that  year. 
In  his  journal  of  April  1,  1843,4  he  gives  an  account  of  the 
Indian  troubles,  which  Dr.  E.  White,  the  Sub-Indian  Agent, 
was  called  to  Walla  Walla  to  settle,  Mr.  Hines  accompanying 
him.  He  says:  "The  arrival  of  a  large  party  of  emigrants 
at  this  time  (1842),  and  the  sudden  departure  of  Dr.  Whitman 
to  the  United  States,  with  the  avowed  intention  of  bringing 
back  with  him  as  many  as  he  could  enlist  for  Oregon,  served  to 
hasten  them  to  the  above  conclusion,"  that  is,  that  there  was 
"A  deep  laid  scheme  of  the  whites  to  destroy  them,  and  take 
possession  of  their  country."  5 

(q)  Questions  may  here  be  asked.  According  to  the  tes- 
timony at  the  meeting  of  the  mission  which  authorized  the 
Doctor  to  go  East,  it  was  expected  that  he  would  start  on 
the  fifth  of  October.  Messrs.  Walker  and  Eells  were  to  pre- 
pare a  letter  which  the  Doctor  was  to  carry.  When  this  letter 
reached  the  Doctor's  station  he  had  been  about  two  days  on  the 
way.  So  the  letter  was  carried  back."  It  is  addressed  to  the 
American  Board,  and  is  a  strong  plea  for  not  abandoning  the 

1  "Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  16. 

2  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Tylers."  vol.  2,  p.  430. 

8  Letter  of  President  L.  G.  Tyler,  a  son  of  President  John  Tyler, 
and  himself  president  of  College  of  William  and  Mary,  Virginia,  to 
Dr.  W.  A.   Mowry,  dated  June  (>,  1S98. 

4  Hines'  "Oregon,"  p.  143. 

5  Hines'  "Oregon." 

"A  copy  of  it  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  Board.  Tin-  original  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  author's  son. 


1  74  Marcus  Whitman 

stations  of  Messrs.  Whitman  and  Spalding,  covering  fourteen 
pages  of  letter  paper.  If  now  the  Doctor  went  purely  for 
missionary  purposes,  to  save  his  station,  why  did  he  not  wait 
for  this  letter,  which  would  have  been  a  great  help  to  him? 

(r)  Although  the  order  had  been  given  to  discontinue  the 
station  of  Messrs.  Whitman  and  Spalding,  yet  in  view  of 
changed  conditions  at  the  time  when  this  order  was  received 
(namely,  the  withdrawal  of  Messrs.  Smith,  Gray  and  Rogers 
from  the  mission,  the  reconciliation  of  all  parties  remaining 
in  the  mission,  the  importance  of  Dr.  Whitman's  station  to 
Americans  who  should  come  to  the  country,  and  to  the  success 
of  Mr.  Spalding's  work  among  the  Nez  Perces),  it  had  been 
voted  by  the  mission  to  continue  those  stations  until  new  rep- 
resentations could  be  made  to  the  Board  and  new  instructions 
received.  Was  it  then  necessary  for  Dr.  Whitman  to  risk  his 
life  to  secure  what  he  had  already  secured,  when  most  certainly 
bis  station  would  have  been  continued,  if  he  had  waited  until 
spring  to  go? 

(s)  At  first  he  was  not  cordially  received  at  Boston. 
Says  Dr.  Geiger:  "Mr.  Hill,  treasurer  of  the  Board,  said  to 
him,  in  not  a  very  pleasant  way,  'What  are  you  here  for,  leav- 
ing your  post?'  Says  P.  B.  Whitman,  'The  Board  censured 
him  in  very  strong  terms  for  leaving  his  post  of  duty ;  also  in- 
formed him  that  they  had  no  money  to  spend  in  opening  the 
western  country  to  settlement.'  "  Says  Dr.  Whitman,  in  a  let- 
ter to  the  Board,  dated  April  1,  1847:  "I  often  reflect  on  the 
fact  that  you  told  me  that  you  were  sorry  I  came"  (East).  Af- 
ter this  he  speaks  of  the  great  value  of  his  services  to  the  emi- 
gration and  of  the  influence  the  emigration  virtually  had  in 
securing  Oregon  to  the  United  States.  Now,  why  was  the 
Board  so  sorry  he  went,  if  he  went  solely  or  mainly  to  help  his 
mission  ? 

(t)  Why  did  the  Doctor  go  to  Washington  at  all,  or  to 
Washington  first,  if  his  intention  was  wholly  or  mainly  to  save 
his  station?  To  have  done  so  would  have  been  the  height  of 
absurdity — would  have  made  him  one  of  the  most  foolish  of 
human  beings — to  have  hastened  to  Washington  to  prevent  the 
American  Board  at  Boston  from  discontinuing  his  mission  sta- 
tion.    When  Rev.  Jason  Lee  went  East  in  1838  mainly  on  mis- 


National  Work — Objections  1  75 

sionary  business,  yet  carrying  a  petition  from  the  people  01  Ore- 
gon to  our  government,  asking  for  the  extension  of  the  laws  of 
the  United  States  over  Oregon,  he  hastened  first  to  report  to 
his  home  Board  in  New  York,  and  afterwards  went  to  Wash- 
ington. Xot  so  Dr.  Whitman,  which  shows  which  business  he 
thought  the  most  important. 

(u)  Lastly,  the  testimony  of  Dr.  Whitman  in  regard  to 
where  he  went  and  why  he  went  should  be  introduced.  After 
his  return  to  his  station,  in  accordance  with  a  request  made 
by  the  Secretary  of  War,  he  prepared  and  sent  to  him  a  bill 
which  it  was  hoped  would  be  passed  by  Congress  for  establish- 
ing a  line  of  military  posts  from  the  western  boundary  of 
Missouri  to  the  Willamette  Valley  for  promoting  safe  inter- 
course with  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  and  for  various  purposes. 
Accompanying  it  was  a  letter  from  the  Doctor,  which  was  not 
dated,  but  which  was  endorsed  as  having  been  received  at 
Washington,  June  22,  '44.     It  begins  with  these  words : 

"To  the  Honorable  James  M.  Porter,  Secretary  of  War. 
In  compliance  with  the  request  you  did  me  the  honor  to  make 
last  winter,  while  at  Washington,  I  herewith  transmit  you  the 
synopsis  of  a  bill."1  Again,  April,  1847,  he  wrote  his  home 
Board  as  follows:  "It  was  to  open  a  practical  route  and  safe 
passage,  and  secure  a  favorable  report  of  the  journey  from  the 
emigrants,  which  in  connection  with  other  objects,  caused  me 
to  leave  my  family,  and  brave  the  toils  and  dangers  of  the 
journey,  notwithstanding  the  unusual  severity  of  the  winter 
and  the  great  depth  of  snow."2 

Thus,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Hon.  A.  Hinman,  Hon. 
A.  L.  Lovejoy,  Dr.  Edward  Hale,  Judge  James  Otis,  Dr.  H.  M. 
Field,   Dr.   S.   Reed,   John   Tyler,   Governor   A.   Ramsey,   and 

'Brown's  "Political  History  of  Oregon,"  vol.  1,  p.   lis. 

2  "Missionary  Herald,"  1885,  p.  350.  Prof.  Bourne  tries  to  get  rid 
of  this  evidence  by  saying,  "As  the  years  passed,  Dr.  Whitman  at- 
tached so  much  importance  to  his  services  to  the  emigration,  that  he 
evidently  came  to  regard  such  services  as  the  purpose  of  his  journey 
tc  the  East."  Tim  plainly  means  that  the  Doctor  got  so  twisted  by 
the  results,  that  he  claimed  for  the  object  what  was  not  th<-  object, 
and  that  the  Professor  has  learned  what  it  was  tifty-seven  years  af- 
i'  rwards,  better  than  the  Doctor  did  five  years  after. 


1  76  Marcus  Whitman 

Whitman  himself,  he  went  to  Washington ;  and,  from  evidence 
given  by  Dr.  dishing  Eells,  W.  H.  Gray,  Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy, 
Mrs.  M.  K.  Walker,  Dr.  William  Barrows,  Dr.  S.  J.  Parker, 
Hon.  A.  Hinman,  Dr.  W.  Geiger,  P.  B.  Wrhitman,  John  Tyler, 
Dr.  E.  Hale,  Hines'  History  of  Oregon,  and  Whitman  him- 
self, he  went  not  alone  for  missionary  purposes,  but  mainly 
to  do  what  he  could  to  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States. 

One  reason  why  some  of  those  who  were  acquainted  with  the 
Doctor,  especially  some  of  the  immigrants  of  1843,  have  said 
that  they  did  not  believe  he  went  for  any  other  than  mission- 
ary purposes,  was  because  in  their  travels  with  him  they  never 
heard  him  say  anything  about  it.  But  this  proves  nothing, 
for  all  know  that  a  person  may  go  to  a  place  with  several 
objects  in  view,  some  of  which  he  will  tell  to  certain  friends, 
while  he  will  not  tell  others,  for  reasons  perfectly  satisfactory 
to  himself.     This  subject  will  be  discussed  more  fully  later.1 

2.  The  second  objection  to  be  considered  is  the  assertion 
that  he  did  not  do  anything  to  save  the  North  Pacific  Coast  or 
any  part  of  it  to  the  United  States.  In  reply,  the  following 
evidence  is  given : 

(a)  Says  Dr.  William  Geiger:  "Either  himself  or  brother 
had  been  a  classmate  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  Dr.  Whit- 
man went  to  him,  and  through  him  obtained  an  introduction 
to  Secretary  Webster.  But  Webster  said  that  it  was  too  late, 
that  he  had  signed  the  papers  and  given  them  to  the  President. 
He  would  not  introduce  him  to  the  President.  Dr.  Whitman 
went  back  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  through  him  obtained 
an  introduction  to  the  President,  who  heard  his  statements  of 
the  value  of  Oregon,  and  the  possibility  of  taking  an  emigra- 
tion there.  At  last  the  President  promised  to  wait  before  pro- 
ceeding further  in  the  business,  until  Dr.  Whitman  should  see 
whether  he  could  get  the  emigration  through.  'That  is  all  I 
want,'  said  Dr.  Whitman.  He  immediately  sent  back  word 
to  Missouri  to  those  who  wished  to  go,  and  had  it  published  in 
the  papers  and  in  a  pamphlet. 

"He  then  went  to  Boston.  When  he  first  met  Mr.  Hill, 
Treasurer  of  the  Board,  Mr.  Hill  received  him  quite  roughly. 

1  See   objection  "four"   in   this   chapter. 


National  Work — Objections  1  77 

Mr.  Hill  said,  'What  are  you  here  for — leaving  your  post?' 
And  at  last  said,  in  a  not  very  pleasant  way,  as  he  offered  him 
some  money,  "Go  and  get  some  decent  clothes.'  Dr.  Whitman 
turned  on  his  heel  and  left.  The  next  day  Mr.  Hill  was  more 
cordial.  If  Dr.  Whitman  told  me  this  once,  he  told  it  to  me 
perhaps  twenty  times.  He  told  it  to  me  first  on  his  return  at 
Mr.  Spalding's  station,  as  I  was  there  temporarily  on  account 
of  sickness  in  Mr.  Spalding's  family.  About  the  same  time 
he  told  Mr.  Spalding  the  same.  He  afterwards  told  it  to  us 
both,  and  in  riding  together  afterwards  on  the  road  he  said 
the  same,  and  these  repeated  statements,  which  were  always 
precisely  alike,  impressed  it  on  my  mind,  or  I  might  perhaps 
have  forgotten  them.  As  far  as  I  know,  he  told  this  only  to 
Mr.  Spalding  and  myself,  and  said  he  had  his  reasons  for  not 
telling  everybody."1 

Again :  ''Dr.  Whitman  praised  the  country  as  of  immense 
value  to  the  United  States,  and  said  that  he  had  heard  that 
tbere  was  a  possibility  of  its  being  transferred  to  Great  Brit- 
ain. But  Webster  replied,  'You  are  too  late,  Doctor,  Oregon 
is  already  bargained  away.'  Whitman  still  pleaded  strongly 
for  Oregon,  but  with  no  effect.  Webster  knew  that  the  fisher- 
men of  his  state  had  millions  of  annual  interest  in  the  New- 
foundland fisheries,  and  he  cared  far  more  to  favor  them  than 
to  save  Oregon.  So  he  spoke  of  the  distance,  of  the  worthless- 
ness  of  the  country,  and  of  the  impossibility  of  making  roads 
to  Oregon.  Finally  he  said  that  the  question  had  been  consid- 
ered and  turned  over  to  President  Tyler,  who  could  sign  Ore- 
gon away  or  refuse  to  do  so,  but  so  far  as  he  had  an  interest 
in  it,  it  was  already  decided,  and  had  passed  entirely  from  his 
bands. 

"Through  the  Secretary  of  War  Dr.  Whitman  then  was 
introduced  to  the  President,  and  for  three  or  four  hours  they 
talked  about  the  country.  Finally  the  President  said  that 
if  they  could  get  a  wagon  road  across  from  the  western  fron- 
tier, that  fact  would  settle  the  question,  but  if  it  could  neither 
be  practically  settled  by  land  or  by  sea,  as  claimed,  it  would  be 
better  to  let  the  country  go,  than  to  try  to  retain,  settle  and 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  pp.  3,  4. 


1  78  Marcus  Whitman 

* 

defend  it.  Dr.  Whitman  responded,  'Hold  on  and  I  will  take 
an  emigration  and  their  wagons  through  next  summer.'  They 
talked  it  all  over,  and  the  Doctor  explained  his  plans  at  length. 
The  President  said  he  had  signed  no  papers,  and  would  hold 
now  to  see  the  issue  of  Dr.  Whitman's  undertaking.  'If  you 
succeed,'  he  said,  'we  will  keep  Oregon.'  And  this  was  the 
stimulus  which  made  the  Doctor  so  persevering  on  that  point, 
all  the  next  summer.  Dr.  Whitman  replied  emphatically, 
bringing  his  hand  down  vigorously  on  his  thigh,  'I'll  take  them 
through.'  And  as  Dr.  Whitman  and  Dr.  Geiger  rode  along 
from  Lapwai  to  Walla  Walla,  he  exultingly  added,  striking 
another  significant  blow  with  his  hand,  'And  I  have  brought 
them  through.' "  * 

(b)  Says  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding:  "The  Doctor  pushed  on 
to  Washington,  and  immediately  sought  an  interview  with  Sec- 
retary Webster — both  being  from  the  same  state — and  stated 
to  him  the  object  of  his  crossing  the  mountains,  and  laid  be- 
fore him  the  great  importance  of  Oregon  to  the  United  States. 
But  Mr.  Webster  lay  too  near  Cape  Cod  to  see  things  in  the 
same  light  with  his  fellow  statesman,  who  had  transferred  his 
worldly  interests  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  awarded  sincerity 
to  the  missionary,  but  could  not  admit  for  a  moment  that  the 
short  residence  of  six  years  could  give  the  Doctor  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  possessed  by  Governor  Simpson,  who  had 
almost  grown  up  in  the  country,  and  had  traveled  every  part 
of  it,  and  represents  it  as  one  unbroken  waste  of  sand  deserts 
and  impassible  mountains,  fit  only  for  the  beaver,  the  gray 
bear,  and  the  savage.  Besides  he  had  about  traded  it  off  with 
Governor  Simpson  to  go  into  the  Ashburton  treaty  ( !)  for  a 
cod  fishery  in  Newfoundland. 

"The  Doctor  next  sought  through  Senator  Linn  an  inter- 
view with  President  Tyler,  who  at  once  appreciated  his  solici- 
tude and  his  timely  representations  of  Oregon,  and  especially 
his  disinterested  though  hazardous  undertaking  to  cross  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  winter  to  take  back  a  caravan  of  wagons. 
He  said  that  although  the  Doctor's  representations  of  the  char- 

^'Oregonian,"    June    1,    1895,    and    "Whitman    College    Quarterly," 
March,  1S98. 


National  Work — Objections  ]  79 

acter  of  the  country,  aiid  the  possibility  of  reaching  it  by  wagon 
route,  were  in  direct  contradiction  to  those  of  Governor  Simp- 
son, his  frozen  limbs  were  sufficient  proof  of  his  sincerity,  and 
his  missionary  character  was  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  his 
honesty,  and  he  would  therefore  as  President  rest  upon  these 
and  act  accordingly;  would  detail  Fremont  with  a  military 
force  to  escort  the  Doctor's  caravan  through  the  mountains; 
and  no  more  action  should  be  had  toward  trading  off  Oregon 
till  he  could  hear  the  result  of  the  expedition.  If  the  Doctor 
could  establish  a  wagon  route  through  the  mountains  to  the 
Columbia  River,  pronounced  impassable  by  Governor  Simpson 
and  Ashburton,  he  would  use  his  influence  to  hold  on  to  Ore- 
gon. The  great  desire  of  the  Doctor's  American  soul,  Chris- 
tian withal,  that  is,  the  pledge  of  the  President  that  the  swap- 
ping of  Oregon  with  England  for  a  cod  fishery  should  stop  for 
the  present,  was  attained,  although  at  the  risk  of  life,  and 
through  great  sufferings,  and  unsolicited  and  without  the 
promise  or  expectation  of  a  dollar's  reward  from  any  source. 
And  now,  God  giving  him  life  and  strength,  he  would  do  the 
rest,  that  is,  connect  the  Missouri  and  Columbia  Rivers  with  a 
wagon  track  so  deep  and  plain  that  neither  national  envy  nor 
sectional  fanaticism  would  ever  blot  it  out."  * 

(c)  Says  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer:  "I 
met  him  in  Oregon  Citv  in  mv  own  home,  after  his  return 
from  Washington.  Spent  an  afternoon  and  evening  with  him, 
and  learned  of  him  the  result  of  his  visit  to  Washington,  and 
the  treatment  he  received  from  Webster  and  from  the  Pru- 
dential Board  or  Committee  of  Missions.2  What  I  learned 
from  Dr.  Whitman  personally  was:  "Mr.  Webster  was  favor- 
able to  making  a  change  of  the  eastern  boundary,  and  giving 
the  western  or  Oregon  country  for  what  had  recently  been  in 
dispute,  as  Mr.  Webster  thought  it  would  be  a  good  exchange; 
and  was  not  induced  to  listen  to  his  {Dr.  Whitman's)  reasons 
against  such  a  change.  Hut  the  President  listened  more  fa- 
vorably, and  said  no  such  change  or  giving  up  of  Oregon 
should  be  made,  if  he  could  get  wagons  and  an  emigration  into 

'"Executive  Document,  No.  37,"  41st  Congress,  third  session  Sen- 
ate 1871,  p.  22. 

aEells'  "Whitman   Pamphlet,"  p.  9. 


1  80  Marcus  Whitman 

Oregon.  .  .  .  Mr.  Webster  was  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
Newfoundland  codfishery.  He  was  held  in  check  by  Benton, 
Adams  and  others.  Benton  had  a  better  knowledge  of  Ore- 
gon than  Webster,  who  had  been  or  become  unpopular  for  his 
yielding  on  the  Eastern  or  Maine  question  with  Ashburton. 
The  petition  that  had  been  sent  by  the  missionaries,  and  the 
statements  made  by  different  parties,  added  to  the  personal 
representations  made  by  Dr.  Whitman,  as  to  the  practicability 
of  a  wagon  route,  and  the  fact  that  the  Doctor's  mission  in 
1836  had  taken  cows  and  wagons  to  Fort  Boise,  and  that  they 
could  be  taken  to  the  Columbia  River — that  fact,  as  affirmed 
by  Dr.  Whitman,  stopped  all  speculations  about  giving  up  Ore- 
gon, till  the  practical  road  question  was  settled." * 

(d)  Says  P.  B.  Whitman,  in  a  letter  to  the  author  dated 
February  10th,  1882:  "Secretary  Webster  received  him  coolly. 
He  said  he  almost  'snubbed  him,'  but  the  President,  Mr.  Tyler, 
treated  him  and  the  possibility  of  a  wagon  road  across  the 
plains  to  the  Columbia  River,  with  a  just  consideration.  He, 
the  President,  gave  the  Doctor  a  hearing,  and  promised  him 
that  the  Ashburton  treaty,  then  pending  [a  mistake],  would 
not  be  signed  until  he  would  hear  of  the  success  or  failure  of 
the  Doctor  in  opening  a  wagon  road  to  the  Columbia  River."2 

Again  he  adds :  "Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  arrived  at  my 
uncle's  house  about  noon  on  the  fifteenth  of  April,  1843, 
At  the  dinner  table  the  Doctor  asked  me  if  I  would  accompany 
him  to  Oregon.  I  promised  to  go  provided  Captain  Green  [his 
great  uncle]  and  my  father  would  consent.  My  mother  died 
four  years  before,  when  T  was  nine  years  old.  Dr.  Whitman 
started  immediately  after  dinner,  taking  me  with  him  to  visit 
my  father  in  Yates  Countv.  We  arrived  at  Middlesex,  the 
home  of  the  Doctor's  mother,  where  we  found  my  father  that 
day.  We  remained  there  four  or  five  days  visiting  his  people, 
some  of  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  seventeen  years.  He  was, 
of  course,  pressed  to  extend  his  visit,  but  he  always  replied 
that  he  would  sacrifice  not  only  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  with  his 
mother,  but  all  else  in  the  world  rather  than  fail  to  meet  an  en- 

1  Pamphlet    by    W.    H.    Gray,    "Did    Dr.    Whitman    Save    Oregon," 
p.  17,  and  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  pp.  8-9. 

2  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  13. 


National  W or k — Objections  181 

gagement  to  be  on  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri  River  at  the 
appointed  time  to  conduct  a  party  of  American  citizens  across 
the  plains.  He  said,  'They  have  my  pledge  to  guide  a  wagon 
train  to  the  Columbia  River  before  the  summer  is  over." 

"During  the  visit  with  his  mother  and  my  father  I  heard 
him  say  repeatedly  that  he  had  been  to  Washington  City,  and 
had  an  interview  with  President  Tyler  about  the  colonization 
of  Oregon   with  American   citizens.      He  said  also    that  the 
President  had  promised  anxiously  to  wait  for  news  of  the  suc- 
cess or  failure  of  the  attempt  to  cross  the  mountains  to  the 
shores  of  the  Columbia  with  wagons.      The  success  or  failure 
of  the  effort  would  in  a  measure  determine  the  question  of  title 
to  the  Oregon  country.      I  know  Dr.  Whitman  carried  home 
to  the  Pacific  this  promise  from  President  Tyler,  and  that  the 
ambition  to  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States  spurred  him  on 
to  great  self-sacrifice  and  labor  that  required  almost  more  than 
mortal  strength.     .     .     .      On  April  20,   1843,  Dr.   Whitman 
bade  his  mother  farewell,  and  we  departed  for  Oregon,  making 
the  first  halt  at  Westport,  Missouri.      The  rendezvous  of  the 
emigrants  was  at  Independence,  a  few  miles  from  Westport. 
The  Doctor  remained  for  a  time  at  the  home  of  Dr.  Waldo,  a 
brother  of  the  Oregon  pioneer,  Hon.  Daniel  Waldo,  of  Marion 
County.      He  gave  Dr.  Waldo  an  account  of  his  trip  across 
the  great  plains,  and  emphasized  the  fact  that  it  was  made  to 
save  the  Pacific  Northwest  to  the  United  States  government. 
His  whole  soul  was  in  the  success  of  the  wagon  journey  to  the 
banks  of  the  Columbia,  and  he  assured  Dr.  Waldo  that  the 
President  had  promised  him  to  withhold  the  transfer  of  the 
territory  to  the  British  until  he  learned  whether  he  succeeded 
or  not.     He  talked  of  this  object  of  his  visit  with  the  enthus- 
iasm of  a  sanguine  nature,  and  he  had  but  one  object — to  save 
Oregon. 

"While  waiting  for  the  large  train  of  immigrants  to  or- 
ganize for  the  journey.  Dr.  Whitman  visited  for  a  week  with 
Rev.  Mr.  Berryman,  Superintendent  of  the  Methodist  Indian 
Mission.  During  that  visit  I  hoard  him  repeat  the  substance 
of  that  interview  with  the  officials  in  Washington  City,  and 
recite  his  hopes  and  fears  about  (he  dangers  and  blessings  upon 


182  Marcus  Whitman 

the  failure  or  success  of  his  effort  to  colonize  Oregon  with  true 
Americans."1 

(e)  Says  Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy:  "He  often  expressed  him- 
self to  me  about  the  remainder  of  his  journey,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he  was  received  at  Washington,  and  by  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  at  Boston.  He  had  several  interviews  with 
President  Tyler,  Secretary  Webster,  and  a  good  many  members 
of  Congress,  Congress  being  in  session  at  that  time.  He  urged 
the  immediate  termination  of  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain 
relative  to  this  country,  and  begged  them  to  extend  the  laws 
of  the  United  States  over  Oregon,  and  asked  for  liberal  induce- 
ments to  emigrants  to  come  to  this  coast.  He  was  very  cor- 
dially and  kindly  received  by  the  President  and  members  of 
Congress,  and  without  doubt  the  Doctor's  interviews  resulted 
greatly  to  the  benefit  of  Oregon  and  to  this  Coast."  2 

(f)  Says  Judge  J.  Otis,  in  a  letter  to  Br.  Thomas  Laurie: 
"They  (the  President  and  Cabinet)  were  called  together,  and 
Dr.  Whitman  spent  an  evening  with  the  Cabinet,  answering 
their  questions,  and  giving  them  his  views  as  to  the  importance 
of  Oregon,  and  the  steps  that  needed  to  be  taken  in  order  to 
secure  it  for  this  country."  This  Dr.  Whitman  told  him  at 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.3 

(g)  Dr.  Whitman,  November  5,  1846,  wrote  to  Kev.  L.  P. 
Judson :  "I  had  adopted  Oregon  as  my  country,  as  well  as 
the  Indians  for  my  field  of  labor,  so  that  I  must  superintend 
the  emigration  of  that  year,  which  was  to  lay  the  foundation 
for  the  speedy  settlement  of  the  country  if  prosperously  con- 
ducted and  safely  carried  through;  but  if  it  failed  and  be- 
came disastrous,  the  reflex  influence  would  be  to  discourage 
for  a  long  time  any  further  attempt  to  settle  the  country 
across  the  mountains,  which  would  be  to  see  it  abandoned  al- 
together. ...  I  have  returned  to  my  field  of  labor,  and 
on  my  return  brought  a  large  immigration  of  about  a  thousand 
individuals  safely  through  the  long  and  the  last  part  of  it  an 
untried  route  to  the  western  shores  of  the  Continent.     .     .     . 

1  "Oregonian,"  December  4,  1895. 

2  "Biography  of  Dr.  G.  H.  Atkinson,"  p.  275. 

3  "Missionary  Herald,"  1885,  p.  354. 


National  Work — Objections  183 

"Time  is  not  so  short  yet  but  it  is  quite  important  that  such 
a  country  as  Oregon  should  not  on  one  hand  fall  into  the  ex- 
clusive hands  of  the  Jesuits,  nor  on  the  other  under  the  English 
government."1 

April  1,  1847,  soon  after  Dr.  Whitman  heard  of  the  treaty 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  he  wrote  to  his 
home  Board:  "I  often  reflect  on  the  fact  that  you  told  me 
you  were  sorry  I  came  East.  It  did  not  then  nor  has  it  since 
altered  my  opinion  in  the  matter.  American  interests,  ac- 
quired in  the  country,  which  the  success  of  the  immigration 
in  1843  alone  did  and  could  have  secured,  have  become  the 
foundation  of  the  late  treaty  between  Eugland  and  the  United 
States  in  regard  to  Oregon,  for  it  may  be  easily  seen  what 
would  have  become  of  American  interests  had  the  immigra- 
tion of  1843  been  as  disastrous  as  have  been  the  two  attempts 
in  1845  and  1846  to  alter  the  route  then  followed  [both  of  these 
years  his  route  having  been  abandoued  for  another].  The 
disaster  was  great  again  last  year  to  those  who  left  the  track 
which  I  made  for  them  in  1843,  as  it  has  been  on  every  attempt 
to  improve  it,  not  that  it  cannot  be  improved,  but  it  demon- 
strates what  I  did  in  making  my  way  to  the  States  in  the 
winter  of  1842-3,  after  the  third  of  October.  .  .  .  Any  one 
can  see  that  American  interests  as  now  acquired  have  had 
more  to  do  in  securing  the  treaty,  than  our  original  rights. 
From  1835  till  now  it  has  been  apparent  that  there  was  a  choice 
of  only  two  things:  (1)  the  increase  of  British  interests  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  other  rights  in  the  country,  or,  (2)  the 
establishment  of  American  interests  by  citizens  (on  the 
ground)."1 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Dr.  Whitman,  after  his  experience 
at  Washington  and  with  the  immigration  of  1843,  knew  what 
he  was  saying  fully  as  much  as  those  who  have  denied  him 
any  political  or  national  intent  (and  who  had  then  hardly 
learned  to  read).  These  statements  of  his  fit  as  exactly  into 
those  Messrs.  Geiger,  Spalding,  P.  B.  Whitman  and  Gray,  as  a 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1803,  p.  200. 
1  For  another  letter  of  similar  import  dated  October  18,  1847,  see 
close  of  Chapter  VIII,  p.  231. 


184  Marcus  Whitman 

tenon  does  into  a  mortise.  It  is  plain  from  this  and  other 
writings  of  the  Doctor  that  he  felt  that  the  Catholics  and  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  were  in  reality  working  together;  that  if 
the  Catholics  won,  it  would  not  only  break  up  his  mission,  but 
the  English  would  obtain  the  country;  and  if  the  English 
won,  the  result  would  be  the  same.  Hence,  in  order  to  save 
the  whole  mission  the  country  must  be  saved  to  the  United 
States. 

It  is  alleged  that  the  statement  about  Governor  Simpson 
being  in  Washington  about  that  time  has  no  good  foundation. 
The  statement  was  first  made  by  Mr.  Spalding,  but  afterwards 
contradicted  by  some  who  denied  the  claims  made  for  Dr. 
Whitman.  The  only  reason  given  for  this  contradiction  was 
that  Governor  Simpson  could  not  have  been  in  Washington  be- 
cause of  his  journey  around  the  world,  and  because  Mr.  Spald- 
ing's statement  was  unsupported  by  other  evidence. 

As  Governor  Simpson  reached  London,  after  his  journey 
around  the  world,  in  October,  1842,  he  could  very  easily  have 
been  in  Washington  by  February,  or  March,  or  before.  Dr. 
W.  F.  Tolmie  came  from  England  to  Oregon  in  1834,  and  for 
a  long  time  was  in  charge  of  Fort  Nisqually,  under  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  When  that  Company  closed  its 
business  on  the  American  side  of  the  line,  he  moved  to  Victoria, 
where  he  lived  many  years  and  where  he  died,  always  loyal 
to  England.  December  15,  1884,  he  wrote  to  the  author  as 
follows :  "Mrs.  Victor  is  decidedly  mistaken  in  stating  on  the 
alleged  authority  of  George  Barber  Roberts,  recently  deceased 
at  Cathlamet,  Washington  Territory,  that  George  Simpson, 
afterwards  Sir  George,  was  not  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Recol- 
lect having  heard  that  he  had  been  there  diplomatizing  for  the 
Company.  Cannot  recall  to  mind  in  what  year.  ...  It 
was  not  the  custom  of  the  leaders  of  the  H.  B.  Company  to  let 
their  business  in  its  intricacies  be  known  to  persons  in  the  po- 
sition held  by  the  late  Mr.  Roberts"  [a  subordinate  clerk  at 
Vancouver]. 

As  there  is  not  a  particle  of  evidence  from  his  book  or  any 
other  source  that  Governor  Simpson  was  not  at  Washington 
either  before  his  journey  around  the  world  or  after  the  spring 
of  1843,  the  possibility  is  that  he  was  there  as  Messrs.  Gray 


National  Work — Objections  185 

and  Spalding  say.  Moreover,  Mr.  Buchanan  in  March,  1844, 
quoted  from  Simpson,  who  extolled  the  country,  and  said  that 
the  possession  of  it  by  Great  Britain  may  become  an  object  of 
very  great  importance,  and  that  they  were  strengthening  their 
claims  to  it  (independent  of  their  claims  of  prior  discovery  and 
occupation  for  the  purpose  of  the  Indian  trade),  by  forming 
the  nucleus  of  a  colony  through  the  establishment  of  farms, 
and  the  settlement  of  some  of  their  retiring  officers  and  ser- 
vants as  agriculturists.1  W.  H.  Gray  says  that  Dr.  Whitman 
while  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  learned  about  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  having  arranged  for  English  settlers  to  come  and  to 
settle  in  Oregon,  and  at  the  same  time  that  Governor  Simpson 
was  to  go  to  Washington  and  secure  the  settlement  of  the 
question  as  to  boundaries  on  the  ground  of  the  most  numerous 
and  permanent  settlement  in  the  country.2 

As  Governor  Simpson  had  said  that  they  were  "resolved, 
even  at  the  cost  of  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling  to 
expel  the  Americans  from  traffic  on  that  coast,"3  it  would  cer- 
tainly be  in  accordance  with  this  statement  that  he  would  use 
all  of  his  influence  to  carry  it  out,  even  to  his  going  to  Wash- 
ington; also,  that  while  there  he  would  not  go  to  work  with 
some  one  who  had  no  influence,  but  would  work  with  Mr. 
Webster,  who  had  considered  the  question  while  negotiating 
the  Ashburton  treaty,  who  had  very  low  views  of  the  value  of 
Oregon,  and  who  hoped  to  negotiate  the  treaty  which  would 
settle  the  Oregon  question. 

3.  The  third  objection  which  has  been  waged  is  that  it 
was  impossible  at  that  time  for  Dr.  Whitman  or  any  one  else 
to  have  done  anything  to  save  Oregon,  as  there  was  nothing 
to  save,  for  all  was  safe;  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  any 
treaty  was  then  in  progress;  and  that  no  State  papers  have 
been  found  which  speak  of  Webster  trading  off  Oregon  for  the 
Newfoundland  codfisheries.     Here  the  question  very  seriously 

1  "Congressional  Record,"  vol.  13,  p.  .'!!'.). 

2  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  289. 
'Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  85. 


1  86  Marcus  Whitman 

arises,  shall  we  accuse  these  witnesses  of  falsehood,  and  reject 
all  their  evidence,  especially  that  of  Messrs.  Gray,  P.  B.  Whit- 
man, Geiger,  and  Marcus  Whitman,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr. 
Spalding.  In  the  author's  opinion  it  is  not  necessary  to  do  so, 
for  so  much  light  has  already  been  found  that  no  one  need  to 
be  accused  of  falsehood,  and  it  can  be  shown  how  these  state- 
ments may  be  reconciled  with  known  events  at  Washington. 

It  is,  however,  not  necessary  to  find  any  papers  which 
would  prove  that  a  formal  treaty  was  then  in  progress.  Hon. 
George  H.  Williams,  of  Oregon,  late  Attorney-General  of  the 
United  States,  who  was  one  of  the  commissioners  to  negotiate 
the  treaty  of  Washington  which  settled  the  Alabama  claims, 
says  that  no  record  of  a  treaty  is  made  until  it  is  negotiated 
and  approved  by  the  President;  and  that  cabinet  officers  and 
foreign  ministers  negotiate  treaties  for  the  President  to  ap- 
prove.1 

Here  is  where  some  have  made,  unknowingly  perhaps,  a 
great  mistake,  because  they  believed  that  papers  referring  to  a 
treaty  must  be  found,  or  else  no  treaty  could  have  at  the  time 
been  under  consideration.  A  treaty  is  simply  an  acquiescing 
on  both  sides  in  rights  already  secured.  The  treaty  with  Eng- 
land by  which  she  acknowledged  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  was  not  the  main  event  which  made  us  an  inde- 
pendent nation.  Back  of  that  was  the  Revolutionary  War 
which  compelled  England  to  sign  the  treaty.  That  "de  facto" 
made  us  independent.  So  the  treaty  with  Mexico  was  not 
the  main  event  which  gave  Texas  to  the  United  States,  but  the 
Mexican  War,  which  compelled  Mexico  to  sign  the  treaty. 
Numerous  instances  of  this  kind  might  be  cited,  of  wars,  or 
discoveries,  or  prior  settlements,  or  other  things  which  were 
previous  to  the  treaty  and  the  cause  of  it,  the  treaty  being 
merely  the  formal  gathering  up  of  rights  already  secured.  So 
in  this  case,  even  if  a  treaty  had  not  been  actually  in  progress, 
the  preliminaries  to  one  might  have  been,  and  might  be  upset 
by  Dr.  Whitman's  work,  and  so  might  he  "de  facto"  save  the 
country.     The  friends  of  Dr.  Whitman  claim  this  to  be  a  fact, 

1  "Oregonian,"  June  1,  1895. 


National  Work — Objections  187 

taking  his  interviews  at  Washington  into  consideration,  in  con- 
nection with  his  work  with  the  immigration.1 

It  is  proper  here  to  consider  what  were  the  views  of  promi- 
nent men  in  Congress,  of  Government,  and  of  Daniel  Webster, 
Secretary  of  State,  concerning  Oregon,  and  then  to  learn  what 
negotiations  or  correspondence  there  were. 

(a)  The  views  of  Prominent  Men  in  Congress :  That  some 
of  these  men  were  friendly  to  Oregon,  such  as  Senators  Benton, 
Linn  and  others,  is  clear,  but  that  a  majority  were  friendly  is 
not  so  evident.  In  the  United  States  Senate,  in  1844,  a  reso- 
lution was  offered  to  give  the  necessary  twelve  months'  notice 
to  Great  Britain  for  the  termination  of  the  treaty  which 
granted  joint  occupancy  to  both  nations.  All  the  senators 
claimed  our  rights  to  be  good  as  far  north  as  49  degrees,  and 
yet  for  various  reasons  a  majority  opposed  the  motion — some 
for  fear  it  would  involve  us  in  war,  some  for  fear  that  it  would 
have  a  bad  effect  on  the  negotiations  which  it  was  said  would 
soon  be  made,  and  for  which  preliminary  arrangements  were 
in  progress,  some  because  of  the  worthlessness  of  the  country, 
and  some  because  they  wanted  no  more  territory.  In  regard 
to  these  latter  points,  Mr.  Dayton,  of  New  Jersey,  said  (Febru- 
ary 23  and  26,  1844),  as  he  quoted  a  description  of  the  country 
from  the  Christian  Advocate  of  February  7th:  "With  the 
exception  of  the  land  along  the  Willamette  and  strips  along  a 
few  of  the  water  courses,  the  whole  country  is  among  the  most 
irreclaimable  barren  wastes  of  which  we  have  read,  except  the 
Desert  of  Sahara.  Nor  is  this  the  worst  of  it.  The  climate 
is  so  unfriendly  to  human  life  that  the  native  population  has 
dwindled  away  under  the  ravages  of  its  malaria  to  a  degree 
which  defies  all  history  to  furnish  a  parallel  in  so  wide  a  range 
of  country." 

1  The  author  once  asked  Dr.  C.  Eells  if  he  knew  whether  any  treaty 
was  in  progress  at  Washington,  which  was  prevented  by  Dr.  Whit- 
man's visit,  as  no  records  of  one  could  be  found.  His  reply  was  sub- 
stantially that  he  did  not,  but  that  something  was  going  on  which  the 
Doctor  thwarted,  and  thus  saved  the  country.  Gray's  discovery  of 
the  Columbia  River,  the  settlement  at  Astoria,  and  the  purchase  of 
Florida  and  the  Spanish  rights  on  the  Pacific  Coast  had  much  to  do 
in  securing  Oregon  to  the  United  States,  though  done  long  before. 


1  88  Marcus  Whitman 

He  also  read  from  tke\ Louisville  Journal,  as  republished  in 
the  National  Intelligencer,  of  Washington:  "  'Of  all  the  coun- 
tries on  the  face  of  this  earth,  it  (Oregon)  is  one  of  the  least 
favored  by  Heaven.  It  is  the  mere  riddlings  of  creation.  It 
is  almost  as  barren  as  the  Desert  of  Africa,  and  quite  as  un- 
healthy as  the  Campania  of  Italy.  Now,  that  such  a  terri- 
tory should  excite  the  hopes  and  cupidity  of  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  inducing  them  to  leave  comfortable  homes  for 
its  heaps  of  sand,  is,  indeed,  passing  strange. 

"  'Russia  has  her  Siberia,  and  England  has  her  Botony  Bay, 
and  if  the  United  States  should  ever  need  a  country  to  which 
to  banish  its  rogues  and  scoundrels,  the  utility  of  such  a  re- 
gion as  Oregon  would  be  demonstrated.  Until  then  we  are 
perfectly  willing  to  leave  this  magnificent  country  to  the  In- 
dians, trappers  and  buffalo,  that  roam  over  its  sand  banks  and 
by  the  sides  of  its  rushing  and  unnavigable  rivers.' 

"I  confess  these  descriptions  are  somewhat  below  my  esti- 
mate. I  had  thought  it  a  poor  country  as  a  whole,  but  not 
quite  so  poor  as  these  authentic  accounts  would  make  it.  Yet, 
these  accounts  are  substantially  correct  as  applied  to  the  coun- 
try as  a  whole,  though  I  have  no  doubt  there  are  some  green 
spots,  some  strips  along  the  streams,  which  may  be  good  and 
even  perhaps  rich  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  it  is  to  these 
spots  that  the  glowing  descriptions  have  been  applied.  .  .  . 
Judging  from  all  sources  of  authentic  information  to  which 
I  have  had  access,  I  should  think  the  territory,  taken  together, 
a  very  poor  region  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  in  that  re- 
spect unworthy  of  consideration  or  contest  at  the  hands  of 
this  government. 

"How  will  the  speedy  settlement  of  Oregon  affect  us?  In 
my  judgment  is  must  be  injuriously.  .  .  .  The  admission 
of  Oregon  as  a  state  of  this  Union  .seems  to  me  as  undesirable 
on  the  one  hand  as  it  is  improbable  on  the  other — undesirable 
because,  by  the  aid  of  the  representative  principle,  we  have 
already  spread  ourselves  to  a  vast  and  almost  unwieldly  ex- 
tent. I  have  no  faith  in  the  unlimited  extension  of  this  gov- 
ernment by  the  aid  of  that  principle.  .  .  .  We  have  al- 
ready conflicting  interests,  more  than  enough,  and  God  forbid 
that  the  time  should  ever  come  when  a  state  on  the  banks  of 


National  Work — Objections  189 

the  Pacific,  with  its  interests  and  tendencies  of  trade  all  look- 
ing toward  the  Asiatic  nations  of  the  East,  shall  add  its  jarring 
claims  to  our  already  distracted  and  overburdened  confed- 
eracy. 

"But  it  is  not  only  in  my  judgment  undesirable,  but  im- 
probable. Distance  and  the  character  of  intervening  country 
are  natural  obstacles  forbidding  the  idea.  By  water,  the  dis- 
tance around  Cape  Horn  is  said  to  be  about  18,000  miles.  By 
land,  the  distance  by  the  only  line  of  travel  is  about  five  thou- 
sand miles  from  this  spot  to  Vancouver  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Willamette.  We  are  much  nearer  to  the  remote  nations  of 
Europe  than  to  Oregon.  And  when  considered  with  reference 
to  the  facilities  of  communication,  Europe  is  in  comparison  our 
next  door  neighbor.  And  this  state  of  things  must  continue 
unless  some  new  agent  of  communication  shall  cast  up.  The 
power  of  steam  has  been  suggested.  Talk  of  steam  communi- 
cation— a  railroad  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  Why,  look 
at  the  cost  and  bankrupt  condition  of  railroads  proceeding  al- 
most from  your  capital,  traversing  your  great  thoroughfares. 
A  railroad  across  twenty-five  hundred  miles  of  prairie,  of  des- 
ert and  of  mountains.  The  smoke  of  an  engine  across  those 
terrible  fissures  of  that  rocky  ledge,  where  the  smoke  of  a  vol- 
cano only  has  rolled  before!  Who  is  to  make  this  vast  inter- 
nal or  rather  external  improvement?  The  State  of  Oregon 
or  the  United  States.  Whence  is  to  come  the  power?  Who 
supply  the  means?  The  mines  of  Mexico  and  Pern  disem- 
boweled would  scarcely  pay  a  penny  in  the  pound  of  the  cost. 
Nothing  short  of  the  lamp  of  Aladdin  will  suffice  for  such  an 
expenditure.  The  extravagance  of  the  suggestion  seems  to  me 
to  outrun  everything  which  we  know  of  modern  visionary 
scheming.  The  South  Sea  bubble,  the  Dutchman's  speculation 
in  tulip  roots,  our  own  in  the  town  lots  and  multicanlis,  are  all 
commonplace  plodding  in  comparison.  But  all  the  suggestion 
seems  to  me  properly  part  and  parcel  of  this  greal  in  Haled 
whole." 

This  connection  being  onl  of  the  question,  Mr.  Dayton  pro- 
ceeded to  discuss  I  he  question  if  Oregon  might  no!  be  a  colony, 
similar  to  the  British  colonies,  and  of  this  idea  he  made  as 
much  sport  as  he  did  of  the  railroad. 


190  Marcus  Whitman 

Other  senators  said  that  if  we  obtained  Oregon  we  conld 
not  hold  it,  as  it  would  set  np  itself  as  an  independent  nation 
after  a  time. 

Mr.  Archer,  after  describing  the  difficulties  in  getting  to 
the  Willamette,  and  the  worthlessness  of  the  intervening  re- 
gion, said:  "These  led  to  the  third  and  last  tract  of  valley 
on  the  seaboard  of  the  Pacific,  suited  for  an  Asiatic  (not  an 
American)  dependency,  if  it  were  to  be  regarded  of  value  as  a 
dependency  at  all.  This  was  destitute  of  harborage  and  could 
never  command  any  by  art.  The  country,  taken  in  its  whole 
extent,  could  at  no  day  certainly  have  a  very  large  production, 
nor  any  considerable  trade."1 

Said  Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  of  Massachusetts,  in  1845: 
"By  a  presumptuous  assertion  of  a  disputed  claim  to  a  worth- 
less territorv  bevond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  we  have  kindled 
anew  on  the  hearth  of  our  mother  country  the  smothered  fires 
of  hostile  strife.  .  .  .  What  just  man  would  sacrifice  a 
single  human  life  to  bring  under  our  rule  both  Texas  and  Ore- 
gon. .  .  .  Some  stolen  Texas,  some  distant,  worthless 
Oregon." ' 

George  A.  Prentice,  in  March,  1844,  inveighed  against  en- 
tering into  a  war  for  the  attainment  of  a  lot  of  worse  than 
useless  territory,  referring  to  Oregon. 

Senator  Winthrop,  of  Massachusetts,  in  1844,  quoted  and 
commended  these  sentences  from  Senator  Benton's  speech  of 
1825  (although  in  1844  Benton  had  entirely  changed  his 
views)  :  "The  ridge  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  may  be  named 
as  a  convenient,  natural,  and  everlasting  barrier.  Along  this 
ridge  the  western  limits  of  this  republic  should  be  drawn,  and 
the  statue  of  the  fabled  god.  Terminus,  should  be  erected  on 
its  highest  peak,  never  to  be  thrown  down." 

Again,  in  1845,  he  added:  "Are  our  western  brethren 
straitened  for  elbow  room,  or  likely  to  be  for  a  thousand  years? 
Have  they  not  too  much  land  for  their  own  advantage  al- 
ready? ....  I  doubt  whether  the  West  has  a  particle 
of  real  interest  in  the  possession  of  Oregon.     .     .     .     The  West 

^'Congressional  Globe,"  vol.  13,  p.  275,  etc. 
2  Seattle  "Post-Intelligencer,"  April  23,  1891. 


National  Work — Objections  191 

has  no  interest,  the  country  has  no  interest  in  extending  our 
territorial  possessions."  * 

Senator  McDuftie,  of  South  Carolina,  in  January,  1843  (a 
little  while  before  Dr.  Whitman  reached  Washington),  after 
ridiculing  steam  power  to  connect  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic 
coasts,  said:  "I  would  not  for  that  purpose  (of  agriculture) 
give  a  pinch  of  snuff  for  the  whole  territory.  If  there  were 
an  embankment  of  five  feet  to  be  removed,  I  would  not  consent 
to  expend  five  dollars  to  remove  it,  and  enable  our  population 
to  go  there.  I  thank  God  for  His  mercy  in  placing  the  Rocky 
Mountains  there." 2 

(b)  On  the  actions  of  the  government  Benton  said :  "The 
great  event  of  carrying  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  to  the  shore  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  planting  that  race  firmly  on  that  sea, 
took  place  at  this  time,  beginning  in  1842,  and  largely  increas- 
ing in  1843.  It  was  not  an  act  of  the  government,  leading  the 
people  and  protecting  them ;  but  like  all  the  other  great  emi- 
grations and  settlements  of  that  race  on  our  Continent,  it  was 
the  act  of  the  people  going  forward,  without  government  aid 
or  countenance,  establishing  their  possession,  and  compelling 
the  government  to  follow  with  its  shield  and  spread  it  over 
them.  So  far  as  the  action  of  the  government  was  concerned, 
it  operated  to  endanger  our  title  to  the  Columbia,  to  prevent 
emigration,  and  to  incur  the  loss  of  the  country.  .  .  .  The 
title  to  the  country  being  thus  endangered  by  the  acts  of  the 
government,  the  evidence  of  it  devolved  on  the  people,  and 
they  saved  it."  In  doing  so,  he  refers  to  the  emigration  of 
1843,  and  adds:  "To  check  these  bold  adventurers  was  the 
object  of  the  government;  to  enact  them  was  the  object  of 
some  western  members  of  Congress,  on  whom  (in  conjunction 

1  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  200. 

2  "How  Marcus  Whitman  Saved  Oregon,"  pp.  41,  42.  It  is  a  little 
refreshing  to  know  that  some  of  these  statements  were  answered  by- 
quotations  from  the  missionaries,  Messrs.  Parker,  Spalding,  and  Oth- 
ers, and  that  Mr.  Wentworth,  of  Illinois,  said,  January  21,  is  1 1,  "Re- 
ligious enterprise  and  missionary  zeal  have  done  the  mOSl  thai  has 
been  done  thus  far  for  the  settlement  of  Oregon."  "Congressional 
Record,"  vol.   L3,  p,  92. 


192  Marcus  Whitman 

with  the  people)  the  task  of  saving  the  Columbia  evidently  de- 
volved." * 

Albert  Gallatin,  in  1846,  said:  "It  is  a  remarkable  fact 
that  although  the  convention  has  now  been  in  force  twenty- 
seven  years,  Congress  has  actually  done  nothing  with  respect 
to  either  of  those  objects  (the  promoting  of  emigration,  or  the 
protection  of  our  citizens).  Enterprising  individuals  have, 
without  any  aid  or  encouragement  by  government,  opened  a 
wagon  road  eighteen  hundred  miles  in  length,  through  an  arid 
or  mountainous  region,  and  made  settlements  on  or  near  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific,  without  any  guaranty  for  the  possession 
of  the  land  improved  by  their  labors."  2 

In  1843  a  bill  passed  the  Senate  making  some  legal  provis- 
ions for  Oregon,  but  it  was  lost  in  the  House  under  an  adverse 
report  made  by  John  Quincy  Adams.3 

The  further  indifference  of  government  may  be  seen  from 
the  fact  that  it  was  more  than  two  years  after  the  treaty  of 
1846  was  made  before  Congress  organized  the  Territory  of 
Oregon ;  notwithstanding  the  great  desire  of  the  people  of 
Oregon  to  have  it  done.  Because  of  the  appeal  of  Dr.  Whit- 
man to  the  provisional  government  of  Oregon,  as  he  felt  that 
there  was  great  danger  from  the  Indians  unless  the  govern- 
ment should  extend  its  protection  over  the  people,  Governor 
Abernethy  sent  J.  Q.  Thornton,  in  1847,  to  Washington  to  urge 
speedy  action  in  the  matter.  He  went  by  water.  Because  of 
the  Whitman  massacre  soon  after  Judge  Thornton  left,  the 
Legislature  of  Oregon  sent  J.  L.  Meek,  in  the  winter  of  1847-8, 
to  Washington  to  still  further  show  the  need.  The  two  worked 
together,  and  on  the  last  day  of  the  session,  August  13,  1848, 
the  Territory  of  Oregon  was  organized  by  Congress. 

Even  further  Congress  showed  its  indifference  for  the  Ore- 
gon settlers  by  not  passing  any  law  by  means  of  which  these 
thousands  of  settlers  in  Oregon  could  have  anv  title  to  their 
land  for  two  years  longer,  until  September,  1850. 

(c)     Webster's  Position.      It  is  important  to  know  Web- 


1  "Benton's  Thirty  Years,"  vol.  2,  chapter  112. 

2  "Oregon  Question,"  by  Albert  Gallatin,  p.  36. 

3 


Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  198. 


National  Work — Objections  193 

ster's  position,  because  lie  was,  in  March,  1843,  Secretary  of 
State,  with  power  largely  to  shape  the  foreign  policy  of  the 
United  States;  because  he  had  already  negotiated  the  Ashbur- 
ton  treaty,  in  which  the  Oregon  question  had  been  considered ; 
and  because  he  was  remaining  in  the  cabinet  with  the  hope  of 
being  the  one  to  negotiate  the  treaty  which  should  settle  the 
Oregon  question.  The  plan  of  the  administration  was  this: 
Either  a  special  mission  to  England,  on  which  it  was  expected 
Mr.  Webster  would  be  sent,  so  that  he  might  be  better  able  to 
negotiate  the  treaty ;  or  a  mission  to  China,  to  which  Mr.  Ever- 
ett, our  minister  to  England,  would  be  transferred,  thus  al- 
lowing Mr.  Webster  to  go  to  England  in  Mr.  Everett's  place, 
where  he  could  still  negotiate  the  treaty.  But  the  special  mis- 
sion to  England  failed  in  Committee,  the  mission  to  China 
passed  Congress,  but  Mr.  Everett  declined  to  go  to  China,  and 
so  Mr.  Webster  failed  to  go  to  England.  Thus  his  hopes  of 
reaching  England  for  that  purpose  died,  and  this  having  been 
his  main  reason  for  remaining  in  the  Cabinet,  he  soon  resigned, 
and  all  danger  of  England  ever  gaining  all  or  any  part  of  Ore- 
gon then  passed  forever.1 

But  in  March,  1843,  Mr.  Webster  had  not  given  up  these 
hopes,  and  hence  the  necessity  of  knowing  his  position.  True, 
in  1846,  in  a  speech  before  the  Senate,  he  stated  that  when  he 
made  the  Ashburton  treatv  in  1842  he  had  said :  "The  govern- 
ment  of  the  United  States  has  never  offered  any  line  south  of 
49  degrees,  and  it  never  will.'"  As  far  as  the  last  sentence  is 
concerned,  ''it  never  will,"  when  said  in  1842,  this  was  merely 
his  opinion,  as  he  could  not  tell  what  the  government  would 
certainly  do.  As  far  as  the  first  sentence  is  concerned,  Mr. 
Benton  gives  the  reason.  In  1843,  he  said,  senators  were 
sounded  by  the  American  negotiator,  Mr.  Webster,  each  on  the 
point  which  lay  nearest  to  him  which  was  to  go  into  the  treaty, 
and  whatever  they  agreed  to  was  put  into  the  treaty,  in  order 
that  they  might  feel  bound  to  sustain  the  treaty  by  their  voles. 
"The  President  said  thai  there  were  conferences  about  Ore- 
gon, qualified  as  informal,  which  is  evidence  there  would  have 
been   formal   negotiations   if  the  informal   had   promised  sue- 

'"Oregon    Hi  torical   Society   Quarterly,"   September,    L900,  p.   340. 


194  Marcus  Whitman 

cess.  The  informal  did  not  so  promise,  and  the  reason  was 
that  the  two  Senators  from  Missouri,  being  sounded  on  the 
subject  of  a  conventional  divisional  line,  repulsed  the  sug- 
gestion with  an  earnestness  which  put  an  end  to  it.  If  they 
had  yielded  the  Valley  of  the  Columbia  would  have  been  di- 
vided. .  .  ."  Hence,  according  to  Mr.  Benton,  Mr.  Webster 
was  willing  privately  to  yield  all  north  of  the  Columbia  in 
August,  1842,  and  would  have  done  so  had  it  not  been  for 
Senators  Benton  and  Linn. 

While  we  accept  Mr.  Webster's  statement  made  above,  that 
the  government  had  never  offered  any  line  south  of  forty-nine 
degrees,  yet  that  statement  does  not  settle  the  question  of  Mr. 
Webster's  private  opinion,  nor  any  change  which  may  have 
taken  place  in  his  opinion  between  August,  1842,  when  the 
Ashburton  treaty  was  made,  and  March,  1843  (when  Dr.  Whit- 
man reached  Washington),  on  account  of  the  influence  of  Sir 
George  Simpson  or  others.  Nor  does  it  settle  the  point  but 
what  Webster,  although  he  may  have  claimed  that  the  rights 
of  the  United  States  extended  as  far  north  as  forty-nine  de- 
grees, may  have  been  willing  to  have  exchanged  some  of  those 
rights  for  an  "equivalent"  consideration.  On  these  points 
other  evidence  must  be  introduced.1 

As  to  his  private  opinion  at  the  time  the  Ashburton  treaty 
was  made,  Mr.  Webster  himself  said  in  1840,  in  the  same  speech 
in  which  he  had  stated  that  "The  United  States  had  never  of- 
fered any  line  south  of  forty-nine  degrees,"  that  he  had  added, 
that  while  this  "must  be  regarded  as  the  general  line  of  boun- 
dary, not  to  be  departed  from  for  any  line  farther  south," 
jet,  "the  use  of  the  Columbia  River  by  England,  permanently 
or  for  a  number  of  years,  and  the  use  of  the  straits  and  sounds 
in  the  adjacent  sea,  and  the  islands  along  the  coast,  would  be 
all  matters  of  friendly  negotiations."  This  evidently  means 
that  he  was  willing  to  yield  all  this  to  England.  His  idea  of 
the  value  of  Oregon  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  in 
1846  he  said  that  the  St.  John's  River,  on  the  northeast  boun- 
dary of  Maine,  was  for  all  purposes  of  human  use  worth  a 

'Benton's  "Thirty  Years,"  vol.  2,  p.  476. 


National  Work — Objections  195 

hundred  times  as  much  as  the  Columbia  was  or  ever  would  be.1 
This  was  three  years  after  Dr.  Whitman  was  there,  and  after 
Oregon  as  a  national  question  had  entered  into  the  presiden- 
tial election  of  1844,  and  about  the  time  the  Oregon  treaty  was 
made. 

Twiss,  an  English  writer,  in  his  Oregon  Territory,  says : 
"It  were  idle  to  speculate  upon  those  future  destinies,  whether 
the  circumstances  of  the  country  justify  Mr.  Webster's  antici- 
pations that  it  will  form  at  some  not  very  far  distant  day  an 
independent  confederation,  or  whether  the  natural  divisions  of 
Northern  and  Southern  Oregon  are  likely  to  attach,  ultimately, 
the  former  by  community  of  interests  to  Canada,  and  the  lat- 
ter to  the  United  States."2 

In  1845,  too,  before  the  Oregon  treaty  was  made,  Mr.  Web- 
ster said,  in  opposing  the  admission  of  Texas:  "The  govern- 
ment is  very  likely  to  be  endangered,  in  my  opinion,  by  a  fur- 
tber  enlargement  of  the  territorial  surface,  already  so  vast, 
over  which  it  is  extended,"3  thus  like  Winthrop  and  many 
others  placing  himself  on  record  against  the  territorial  enlarge- 
ment of  the  United  States.  Thus  far  Mr.  Webster's  private 
opinions  have  been  given. 

Here  then  we  have  Mr.  Webster's'  ideas :  Oregon  not  worth 
much,  not  a  hundredth  part  as  much  as  the  Valley  of  the  St. 
Johns;  not  wanted  because  the  United  States  already  had  as 
much  territory  as  she  ought  to  have;  and  that  it  might  set  it- 
self up  as  an  independent  confederation,  even  if  the  United 
States  should  obtain  a  nominal  title  to  it. 

(4)  But  there  was  talk  of  trading  off  Oregon.  In  1827 
a  resolution  had  been  introduced  into  Congress  by  Mr.  Knight, 
of  Rhode  Island,  asking  the  President  to  open  negotiations 
with  Great  Britain  to  exchange  Oregon  for  Upper  Canada.  In 
1844,  Mr.  Choate,  Senator  from  Massachusetts  [Mr.  Webster's 
state,  Webster  not  then  being  in  the  Senate,  having  left  it  to 
accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State,  and  then  in  1S4J* 
having  resigned  that  position],  hinted  again  at  "equivalents 

'"Webster's  Speeches,"  vol.  5,  p.  102. 
1  I'.  264,  written  January.  184G. 
3  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  200. 


196  Marcus  Whitman 

for  Oregon."  This  alarmed  Mr.  Breese,  of  Illinois,  who  did 
not  know  what  was  meant  unless  it  might  be  money  or  some- 
thing like  Mr.  Knight's  idea  of  1827.  Thus  there  was  talk  of 
trading  off  Oregon. 

Early  in  1844  a  bill  was  introduced  before  the  Senate  ask- 
ing for  all  the  correspondence  and  instructions  on  the  subject 
of  Oregon  since  March  4,  1841.  January,  1844,  Mr.  Benton 
said  while  discussing  this  bill :  "The  Senator  from  Ohio,  Mr. 
Allen,  has  read  you  a  part  of  the  debate  in  Parliament  in  Feb- 
ruary last  (1843),1  in  which  the  British  minister,  Sir  Robert 
Peel,  has  made  a  very  extraordinary  declaration — a  declara- 
tion in  full  terms — that  President  Tyler  has  made  propositions 
on  the  subject  of  Oregon,  which  would  render  it  impossible  for 
him  to  have  signed  the  bill  which  passed  the  Senate  at  the  last 
session  to  grant  land  to  the  Oregon  settlers.  His  word  is 
'impossible.' '  Mr.  Benton  was  indignant  that  anything  should 
have  been  done  which  would  render  it  impossible  for  the  Presi- 
dent to  have  signed  a  bill  passed  by  the  Senate,  and  wanted 
to  know  why  the  American  people  could  not  know  as  much  on 
the  subject  as  the  British  Parliament. 

The  bill,  however,  before  the  Senate  was  lost  by  a  vote  of 
31  to  14,  the  correspondence  was  not  obtained,  and  the  writer 
has  not  been  able  to  learn  any  more  about  the  communication 
of  the  President  to  Great  Britain.  But  it  is  plain  from  this 
that  some  very  important  papers  had  about  that  time  been 
sent  to  England  which  threatened  the  possession  of  Oregon  by 
the  United  States. 

In  a  speech  of  Senator  D.  R.  Atchison,  of  Missouri,  Febru- 
ary 22,  1844,  in  Congress,  he  said:  "Give  us  the  countenance 
of  our  government;  give  us  your  protection;  give  us  govern- 
ment and  laws  and  we  will  soon  fill  up  the  country  (Oregon), 
we  will  take  possession  of  it,  and  we  will  keep  that  possession. 
Do  but  assure  us  that  we  will  not  be  traded  off — that  we  are 
not  to  become  British  subjects— that  we  are  to  remain  mem- 
bers of  the  glorious  Republic,  we  will  take  possession,  and  we 
will  keep  that  possession  in  defiance  of  British  power." ' 

^his  was  just  before  Dr.  Whitman  reached  Washington. 
2  See  "Oregonian,"  November  26,  1897. 


National  Work — Objections  197 

Another  item,  too,  is  significant.  Soon  after  the  Ashbur- 
ton  treaty  was  signed  in  August,  1842,  Lord  Aberdeen  had, 
through  H.  S.  Fox,  the  British  minister  at  Washington,  con- 
sulted with  Secretary  Webster  about  resuming  negotiations  on 
the  Oregon  question.  This  was  October  18,  1842.  On  Novem- 
ber 25,  following,  Mr.  Webster  had  replied,  saying  that  the 
President  concurred  in  the  suggestion  and  would  make  a 
communication  to  our  minister  in  England  at  no  distant  day. 
The  next  letter  extant,  however,  is  dated  nearly  a  year  later, 
October  9,  184.3.  Then  Hon.  A.  P.  Upshur,  who  had  succeeded 
Mr.  Webster  as  Secretary  of  State,  wrote  Edward  Everett,  our 
minister  in  London,  saying:  "The  offer  of  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  of  latitude,  although  it  has  been  once  rejected,  may  be 
again  tendered,  together  with  the  right  of  navigating  the  Co- 
lumbia River  upon  equitable  terms;  beyond  this,  the  Presi- 
dent is  not  prepared  to  go."  Why  was  this  delay  of  nearly 
a  year?  It  certainly  gave  time  for  the  President  to  know 
practically  that  the  immigration  which  Dr.  Whitman  had 
promised  to  lead  through  was  a  large  one,  and  so  that  Oregon 
could  be  peopled  overland  from  the  United  States.  If  this  is 
not  so,  can  any  one  answer  the  question,  why,  when  the  Presi- 
dent had  said  he  would  make  the  Oregon  question  the  subject 
of  immediate  attention,  and  promised  that  at  no  distant  daij  2 
communication  would  be  sent  on  the  subject,  none  is  now  on 
record  for  nearlv  a  whole  year? 

If  all  the  statements  made  can  thus  be  reconciled,  there  is 
no  contradiction,  and  they  after  all  make  Dr.  Whitman  a 
saviour  of  Oregon.  The  saving  of  Oregon  was  undoubtedly 
like  a  chain  of  several  links,  of  which  if  any  one  had  been 
broken,  all  attached  to  the  end  would  have  been  lost.  This 
was  one  of  the  links,  and  he  prevented  it  being  broken.  The 
evidence  is  that  both  he  and  Oovernor  Simpson  were  unofficial 
earnest  workers  for  their  respective  countries,  and  that  he  won. 

In  confirmation  of  this  a  writer,  E.  D.  F.,  in  I  lie  New  York 

,  of  January  27,  1870,  says  that  an  eniinenl  legal 

gentleman  of  Massachusetts,  a  personal  friend  of  Mi-.  Webster 
with  whom   he  had  several   times  conversed  on   the  subject,   i«' 
marked  to  the  writer  of  this  article:     "It  is  safe  to  assert  thai 
our  country  owes  it  to  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  associate  mission- 


198  Marcus  Whitman 

aries,  that  all  the  territory  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
south  as  far  as  the  Columbia  River  is  not  now  owned  by  Eng- 
land and  held  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company."  * 

4.  The  fourth  objection  which  has  been  raised  is  that  the 
story  cannot  be  true  because  it  was  not  published  earlier. 
Says  Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor  in  the  Astorian:  "This  I  do  say,  and 
can  substantiate  it,  that  until  Mr.  Gray,  about  186G,  set  this 
story  afloat,  nobody  had  ever  heard  of  it."  Says  Hon.  E. 
Evans :  "No  living  person  in  Oregon  or  Washington  prior  to 
July  4,  1865,  ever  heard  national  motive  or  political  influence 
attributed  to  the  winter  journey  of  Dr.  Whitman  in  1842-3."2 
He  also  asserted  his  belief  that  no  one  on  this  coast  originated 
the  myth,  but  that  it  was  done  by  the  American  Board  at  Bos- 
ton, that  in  18G4-5  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  prosecut- 
ing their  mammoth  claim  against  the  United  States,  uone 
huge  item  of  which  was  for  having  mollified  the  savage  dispo- 
sition of  the  natives,"  and  that  if  the  Company  could  gain  a 
reward  for  this,  how  much  more  would  the  Board  gain,  if  it 
could  be  proved  that  political  benefits  had  accrued  from  the 
presence  of  the  missionaries  in  the  country,  and  that  grants 
of  land  would  be  but  a  trifle  for  such  services ;  that  Dr.  S.  B. 
Treat  originated  the  story,  and  then  sent  to  the  Pacific  Coast 
for  proofs  of  it. 

Professor  Bourne  also  takes  the  position  that  the  story  can- 
not be  true  because  it  was  not  published  earlier  than  1864.  It 
may  here  be  stated  (1)  that  it  was  first  published  about  1864; 
(2)  that  it  was  heard  long  before  by  different  parties.  The 
first  time  that  the  writer  knows  that  it  was  published  was  in 
1864  in  the  Sacramento  Union  and  San  Francisco  Pacific.  The 
winter  before,  the  tomahawk  with  which  Dr.  Whitman  had 
been  killed  was  presented  to  the  State  of  Oregon  at  the  Legis- 
lature. At  that  time  this  story  about  Dr.  Whitman's  trip 
East  was  related  as  told  to  the  speaker,  Speaker  Moore.     Hon. 

1  This  article  has  always  been  credited  to  the  "New  York  Inde- 
pendent," but  a  search  in  that  paper  has  failed  to  find  it.  The  writer 
has  the  whole  printed  article  found  in  Mr.  Spalding's  papers  after 
his  death,  and  signed  "E.  D.  F.,"^or'"E.  D.  B.,"  the  last  letter  being 
slightly  torn. 

2  "Oregonian,"Jf)ecember  23,  1884. 


National  Work — Objections  199 

S.  A.  Clarke  wrote  it  out  and  sent  it  to  the  Sacramento  I  nion. 
The  San  Francisco  Bulletin  published  the  same  about  the  same 
time.1  About  the  same  time  Mr.  Spalding  sent  it  to  The  Pa- 
cific. In  1866-8  it  was  published  in  a  long  series  of  articles 
by  Mr.  Spalding  in  the  Albany  (Oregon)  Democrat,  and  by  Mr. 
Gray  in  the  Astoria n.  Dr.  Gushing  Eells,  by  request,  sent  it 
to  the  American  Board  in  I860,  and  it  was  published  in  the 
Missionary  Herald  in  December. 

There  were  three  reasons  why  it  was  not  published  earlier. 
(a)  The  work  had  been  done  in  1843.  The  seed  thus  sown 
did  not  bring  forth  fruit  until  1846  when  the  treaty  was  made. 
One  reason  why  the  story  was  not  published  soon  after  was 
that  it  would  have  been  very  unwise  to  have  done  so  before 
the  breaking  up  of  the  mission  in  1847.  The  mission  was  en- 
tirely dependent  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  their  sup- 
plies. Far  inland  as  they  were  situated,  they  could  not  have 
existed  without  the  help  of  the  Company  and  its  protection. 
Had  Dr.  Whitman  proclaimed  what  he  did,  which  was  to  take 
away  the  country  from  the  English  and  so  from  the  Company, 
and  thus  break  up  their  business  in  Oregon,  as  was  really 
done,  it  would  undoubtedly  have  alienated  and  angered  them, 
and  thus  broken  up  the  mission.  The  evidence,  however,  is  that 
Dr.  Whitman  or  some  one  who  knew  of  his  motives  did  tell  it 
at  first.  What  is  written  in  Mr.  Hines'  journal  about  the 
Doctor's  avowed  intention  to  bring  back  as  many  emigrants 
as  he  could  was  evidently  written  before  his  return.  P.  B. 
"Whitman  says  that  Mr.  A.  McKinley  told  him  that  the  Doctor 
made  that  great  ride  to  rob  his  people  of  a  vast  territory,  and 
that  he  openly  declared  his  purpose  before  he  made  the  jour- 
ney.2 

The  evidence  is  that  Dr.  Whitman  did  say  this  before  he 
went,  but  that  afterwards,  seeing  the  danger  to  the  mission  of 
its  being  made  public,  he  was  far  more  guarded.  Hence,  on 
his  way  back  it  does  not  appear  that  he  told  it  to  any  of  the 
immigrants,  for  they  were  to  settle  in  the  Willamette  Valley, 
and  would  have  constant  intercourse  with  the  officers  of  the 

'See  "Danville  Advertiser,"  N.  Y.,  May  4,   L865,  which  copied  it. 
2"Oregonian,"  December  4,  1895. 


200  Marcus  Whitman 

Hudson's  Bay  Company  at  Vancouver.  Likewise,  Dr.  Geiger 
says  that  ''he  had  his  reasons  for  not  telling  everybody,"1  and 
that  he  "asserted  that  he  was  so  anxious  to  prevent  trouble 
and  hold  in  check  the  hostility  that  would  be  natural  in  those 
who  upheld  British  interests,  that  he  never  alluded  to  his  wish 
to  save  Oregon  from  British  ascendancy  nor  conversed  with  any 
one  on  that  subject  on  the  journey."  2 

(b)  Mrs.  Walker  gives  a  second  reason:  "Much,"  she 
says,  "was  said  about  that  time  about  the  Methodist  mission- 
aries coming  here,  and  then  leaving  their  legitimate  missionary 
calling  to  make  money,  and  for  other  purposes,  and  some  dis- 
grace was  brought  on  the  missionary  cause.  Mr.  Walker  and 
associates  felt  that  Dr.  Whitman,  in  leaving  missionary  work 
and  going  on  this  business,  was  likely  also  to  bring  disgrace 
on  the  cause,  and  were  so  afraid  of  it  that  for  a  long  time  they 
would  hardly  mention  the  object  of  Dr.  Whitman's  journey 
publicly.  I  remember  plainly  that  Mr.  Walker  often  prayed 
after  Dr.  Whitman  had  gone,  that  if  it  was  right  for  him  to  go 
on  this  business  he  might  be  preserved,  but  if  not  his  way 
might  be  hedged  up.  When  the  statements  first  began  to  be 
made  publicly  of  this  political  object  of  Dr.  Whitman's  journey 
East,  we  were  then  afraid  that  disgrace  would  be  brought  on 
our  mission."3  To  show  that  there  was  reason  for  this  fear,  a 
few  quotations  are  in  order,  for  while  the  author  does  not  say 
that  they  are  true,  yet  they  show  what  was  said  at  the  time. 
Rev.  C.  G.  Nicolay  says  of  the  missionaries :  "On  the  Willam- 
ette they  sink  into  political  agents  and  would-be  legislators."4 
Rev.  Stephen  Olin,  a  Methodist  bishop,  says,  concerning  the 
same  mission :  "The  missionaries  were  in  fact  mostly  engaged 
in  secular  affairs — concerned  in  claims  to  large  tracts  of  land, 
claims  to  city  lots,  farming,  merchandizing,  grazing,  horse 
keeping,  lumbering,  and  flouring.  We  do  not  believe  that  the 
history  of  missions  exhibits  another  such  spectacle,"  and  he 
adds  that  "the  mission  became  odious  to  the  growing  popula- 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  4. 
2"Oregonian,"  June   1,  1895. 

3  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  11. 

4  Nicolay's  "Oregon  Territory,"  edition  1846,  p.  178. 


National  Work — Objections  201 

tion."  '    These  things  having  been  written  by  Protestant  clergy 
men,  it  is  easy  to  see  what  remarks  would  be  made  by  rough 
mountaineers,  who  cared  almost  nothing  for  religion,  however 
unjust  their  remarks  might  have  been;  and  hence,  the  justness 
of  the  reasons  given  by  Mrs.  Walker. 

(c)  A  third  reason  why  the  story  was  not  published 
earlier,  even  after  the  death  of  the  Doctor,  was  that  neither 
Messrs.  Walker  or  Eells  were  writers  for  the  press.  Outside 
of  their  reports  to  the  Board,  which  it  was  necessary  for  them 
to  make,  and  some  sermons  and  addresses  written  for  delivery 
but  published  by  request,  one  or  two  articles  is  all  that  either 
ever  wrote,  and  none  previous  to  1866.  To  them  it  was  a  great 
task  to  write  for  the  press.  Mr.  Spalding  was,  however,  a 
willing  writer.  But  in  1843  the  one  great  thing  uppermost  in 
his  mind  was  the  causes  of  the  Whitman  massacre.  He  be- 
lieved the  Catholics  to  be  the  prime  cause.  To  prove  this  was 
bis  great  desire,  for  it  overshadowed  all  other  subjects.  He 
published  his  views  in  the  Oregon  American  and  Evangelical 
Unionist  of  Hillsboro,  Oregon,  which  was  edited  by  Rev.  J.  S. 
Griffin.  This  was  in  1848-9.  But  Mr.  Griffin's  printer  left 
for  the  recently  discovered  gold  mines  of  California  after  Mr. 
Spalding  had  written  a  few  articles.  These  articles  were  se- 
vere against  the  Catholics.  No  other  printer  could  be  ob- 
tained, and  the  paper  suspended.  It  was  not  long  before  Mr. 
Spalding  sought  other  papers  in  which  to  publish  his  views. 
But  newspapers  in  those  early  days  were  very  few  in  Oregon, 
and  they  refused  him  the  use  of  their  columns,  for  they  knew 
how  severe  he  was  on  the  Catholics,  and  did  not  wish  to  an- 
tagonize them.  He  felt  it  keenly  and  often  spoke  of  it  to  his 
friends.  Hence  it  was  not  until  1861  that  he  found  a  place 
for  publishing  his  articles,  and  it  was  in  The  Pacific.  By  this 
time  years  had  passed,  and  he  was  led  to  look  at  other  sub- 
jects connected  with  the  missions  as  being  of  equal  importance, 
and  so  wrote  of  Dr.  Whitman's  trip  East.  Had  Mr.  Spald- 
ing lived  fifteen  years  longer  than  he  did,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  thought  it  a  little  hard  to  be  told  that  the  story  was  not 

1  "History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Oregon,"  p.  13. 


202  Marcus  Whitman 

true  because  not  published  earlier,  when  for  many  years  he 
had  been  trying  in  vain  to  reach  the  public  through  the  press. 

But  although  not  published  earlier,  it  was  known  to  many. 
In  reply  to  inquiries  made  by  the  author  he  has  received  sev- 
eral letters  on  this  subject,  which  are  here  given,  together  with 
a  little  more  evidence  in  the  same  line.  As  this  objection  was 
not  raised  until  early  in  the  eighties,  most  of  the  witnesses  had 
to  depend  on  their  memories.1  Rev.  G.  H.  Atkinson,  D.  D., 
came  to  Oregon  in  1848.  Under  date  of  March  19,  1885,  he 
wrote:  "I  filed  many  letters  that  came  to  me  in  early  years, 
and  his  (Mr.  Spalding's)  among  the  rest,  and  packed  them  in 
a  box,  but  mice  and  rats  got  in  and  made  their  nests,  and  the 
larger  portion  were  lost.  Hence  I  cannot  fix  the  date  (when  I 
first  heard  the  story).  It  had  been  in  my  mind  some  years 
(previous  to  1805)  as  a  great  historical  fact  to  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  and  to  Chris- 
tian institutions  on  this  Northwest  Coast,  and  to  the  nation 
as  well.  While  East  in  1805,  I  called  upon  Rev.  S.  B.  Treat, 
secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  and  made  known  the  facts 
as  stated  to  me  by  Mr.  Spalding.  He  was  much  surprised 
that  Dr.  Whitman  had  done  so  much  to  save  Oregon,  and  thus 
prepare  the  way  to  secure  California  by  concurrent  events.  He 
intimated  that  Brother  Spalding  wrote  and  said  extravagant 
things  sometimes,  and  that  they  must  be  careful  of  quoting 
and  relying  on  him  implicitly.  I  replied  that  I  knew  Brother 
Spalding's  rather  erratic  way  of  leaping  to  conclusions,  but 
on  more  acquaintance  I  usually  found  him  very  correct  in  the 
statement  of  facts,  though  strong  in  prejudice  against  the 
Jesuits  and  some  who  seemed  to  uphold  them.  I  then  said 
to  him,  'Mr.  Treat,  I  wish  you  to  know  these  facts,  as  they 
are  for  the  honor  of  God  in  your  missions  in  Oregon,  and  for 
the  encouragement  of  the  churches.  I  refer  you  to  Rev.  Cush- 
ing  Eells  to  confirm  what  I  say.  He  is  very  careful  in  all  his 
statements.  You  all  rely  upon  him.'  He  said,  'We  do,  and  I 
will  write  him.'  He  did  so,  and  your  father  (C.  Eells)  con- 
firmed what  I  said,  and  added  more  facts,  which  they  used 

1  Nearly  all  of  this  was  published  in  the  "Oregonian"  of  May  21, 
1885. 


National  Work — Objections  203 

at  their  annual  meeting  at  Pittsfield  and  made  a  strong  impres- 
sion.'' 

Dr.  A.  H.  Steele,  late  of  Olympia,  in  referring  to  the  state- 
ment of  Mr.  Evans  that  no  one  knew,  before  1865,  that  it  was 
claimed  for  Dr.  Whitman  that  he  had  saved  the  country,  said: 
"Mr.  Walker  told  me  that  in  Oregon  Citv  ten  years  before 
that." 

Prof.  Thomas  Condon,  of  Eugene,  Oregon,  wrote  that  he 
heard  Mr.  Spalding  speak  of  Dr.  Whitman's  journey  East  the 
same  year  he  came  to  Oregon,  1855,  but  heard  more  especially 
about  his  intentions  and  efforts  to  induce  emigrants  to  come  to 
Oregon. 

Mr.  G.  F.  Colbert,  of  Crawfordsville,  Oregon,  wrote,  April 
8,  1885 :  "As  to  the  facts  in  the  case  about  Dr.  Whitman  and 
his  winter  journey  East,  I  know  nothing,  as  it  all  took  place 
before  I  came  to  the  country,  but  when  Victor,  Evans  and  Com- 
pany say  that  nobody  ever  heard  that  the  Doctor's  object  was 
to  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States  until  1865  or  1866,  they  are 
mistaken.  I  certainly  heard  Mr.  Spalding  tell  about  it  in  the 
fall  of  1852,  and  it  does  appear  to  me  that  I  heard  him  tell  it 
a  dozen  times  before  1865."  Mrs.  Colbert  went  to  Brownsville 
to  teach  school  in  the  fall  of  1852,  and  while  boarding  around 
made  her  home  for  a  time  in  Mr.  Spalding's  family.  She  be- 
lieves she  heard  that  statement  about  Dr.  Whitman  privately 
from  him  at  that  time,  though  she  thinks  she  heard  it  pre- 
viously in  public  from  him  in  a  sermon. 

Rev.  Horace  Lyman  came  to  Oregon  in  1849,  and  says  that 
he  heard  within  a  year  or  two  after  his  arrival  that  Dr.  Whit- 
man's main  object  in  going  East  was  a  political  one.1 

Judge  R.  P.  Boise,  of  Salem,  Oregon,  came  in  1857,  and  im- 
mediately visited  his  fellow  townsman,  Cushing  Eells,  at  For- 
est Grove.  In  his  address  before  the  Oregon  Pioneer  Asso- 
ciation in  1876,  he  alludes  to  this  visit,  and  says  that  he  (Mr. 
Eells)  thought  that  while  the  missions  to  the  Indians  had  in  a 
measure  been  a  failure,  yet  that  God  had  guided  here  the  feet 
of  the  missionaries  as  the  forerunners  of  civilization;  that 
had  they  not  been  here  in  those  early  days,  and  advised  the 

1  "Oregonian,"  February  15,  1885. 


204  Marcus  Whitman 

United  States  government  of  the  value  of  the  country,  it  would 
have  passed  under  the  British  crown,  and  the  flag  of  the  Union 
never  floated  over  it.1 

The  late  Rev.  O.  Dickinson,  of  Salem,  who  came  to  Oregon 
iii  1853,  says  under  date  of  March,  1885 :  "1  cannot  call  to 
mind  any  circumstance  which  will  fix  the  date  of  hearing  about 
Dr.  Whitman's  specific  object  in  his  journey  to  the  States,  the 
winter  spoken  of,  but  I  know  I  heard  both  Mr.  Atkinson  and 
Mr.  Spalding  speak  of  it  at  quite  an  early  day,  and  as  I  recol- 
lect about  1857." 

Says  Mr.  Luther  White,  of  Brownsville,  Oregon,  in  a  letter 
dated  April  8,  1885:  "I  became  acquainted  with  Bev.  H.  H. 
Spalding  in  the  summer  of  1819.  Sometime  in  September 
following  I  had  an  interview  with  him.  I  asked  him  what  he 
thought  was  the  probable  cause  of  the  massacre.  Mr.  Spalding 
related  the  incident  of  Dr.  Whitman's  journey  in  the  winter  to 
the  Atlantic  States  as  perhaps  the  prime  cause.  I  heard  Jo- 
siah  Osborne  relate  the  same  thing  in  substance.  I  think  Mr. 
Osborne  said  he  received  his  information  from  Dr.  Whitman. 
The  conversation  with  Mr.  Osborne  was  after  the  conversation 
with  Mr.  Spalding,  I  think  in  1850."  2 

Says  Mr.  James  Blakely,  of  Brownsville,  under  date  of 
April  14,  1885:  "I  heard  Bev.  H.  H.  Spalding  speak  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  going  East  for  purposes  stated  in  your  letter  (to 
do  what  he  could  to  save  the  country),  as  early  as  1849,  and 
am  ready  at  any  time  to  make  affidavit  to  that  effect." 

Mr.  H.  L.  Brown,  of  Brownsville,  who  came  across  the 
plains  in  184G,  wrote  April  7,  1885:  "My  first  acquaintance 
with  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  was  in  the  winter  of  1848-9,  when  he 
and  P.  B.  Whitman  came  to  my  house  and  remained  several 
days,  and  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  he  made  the  statement 
to  me  at  that  time  that  the  object  of  Dr.  Whitman's  trip  back 
East  in  1842-3  was  to  use  his  influence  with  the  authorities  at 
Washington  for  the  purpose  of  saving  Oregon  to  the  American 

1  Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,  1876,  p.  26. 

2  This  letter  was  written  in  reply  to  one  asking  Mr.  White  when 
he  first  heard  that  Dr.  Whitman's  main  object  in  going  East  was  tr 
save  the  country.  Mr.  Osborne  came  to  Oregon  in  1S47,  and  witli 
his  family  was  at  Dr.  Whitman's  at  the  time  of  the  massacre. 


National  Work — Objections  205 

people,  .and  bringing'  a  train  of  emigrants  across  the  plains  in 
1843.  I  then  went  to  California  in  the  spring  of  1849,  and 
did  not  return  home  until  January,  1850,  when  1  found  H.  H. 
Spalding  my  nearest  neighbor,  and  from  that  time  on  for  sev- 
eral years  I  can  state  positively  that  I  heard  Mr.  Spalding  fre- 
quently relate  that  the  main  object  of  Dr.  Whitman's  trip  back 
East  was  to  use  his  influence  with  the  authorities  as  above 
stated,  and  to  bring  a  train  of  emigrants  across  the  plains  to 
the  Columbia  River. 

"Also  I  can  further  state  that  I  was  a  member  of  the  terri- 
torial Legislature  of  Oregon  in  1854-5,  when  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  who  was  a  member  of  said 
Legislature,  when  I  heard  him  relate  the  story  of  his  trip 
across  the  plains  with  Dr.  Whitman  in  1842-3,  and  to  the  best 
of  my  recollection,  his  statement  in  regard  to  the  object  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  trip  back  East  was  substantially  the  same  as  that 
made  by  H.  H.  Spalding." 

The  late  Mr.  Horace  Hart,  of  Prescott,  Washington,  a  broth- 
er of  the  first  Mrs.  Spalding,  April  10,  1885,  wrote :  "In  regard 
to  the  story  about  Dr.  Whitman's  journey  East  in  1842-3,  to 
save  a  part  of  this  Northwest  Coast  to  the  United  States,  I  will 
state  that  both  Mr.  Spalding  and  his  wife  told  me  of  it  in  the 
fall  of  1846,  and  I  feel  tolerably  certain  that  I  heard  Dr.  Wh it- 
man  and  Mr.  Spalding  talking  about  it  in  the  winter  of  1847, 
while  the  Doctor  was  at  Mr.  Spalding's  mission  on  the  Lap- 
wai." 

Thus  here  are  eleven  witnesses  (not  even  counting  Dr.  At- 
kinson), who  heard  this  story  from  the  three  men  connected 
with  the  mission  at  its  close,  H.  H.  Spalding,  E.  Walker  and 
0.  Eells,  and  also  from  A.  L.  Lovejoy  and  J.  Osborne,  from  1840 
to  1857.  Dr.  Atkinson's  statement  as  to  how  the  American 
Board  first  fully  realized  it,  is  not  new  to  many  who  were  ac- 
quainted with  him. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   IMMIGRATION   OF   1843. 

(5)  A  fifth  objection  has  been  raised  that  Dr.  Whitman 
did  nothing  worth  mentioning  to  induce  any  of  the  immigrants 
of  1843  to  start  for  Oregon.  Some  writers  claim  that  three 
things  determine  what  nation  shall  possess  any  new  country — 
priority  of  discovery,  taking  formal  possession,  and  actual  set- 
tlement, especially  the  first  and  last.  The  first  with  relation 
to  Oregon  was  a  disputed  point  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States.  It  was  becoming  plain,  therefore,  that  the  last, 
the  actual  settlement,  was  to  decide  the  question.  The  English 
saw  it  and  were  working  for  it.  As  far  as  trade  was  concerned, 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  gained  the  victory,  and  had 
driven  from  Oregon  every  American  company  which  had  at- 
tempted to  engage  in  the  fur  business.  But  they  knew  that  fur 
traders  alone  would  not  hold  Oregon.  Actual  settlers  would 
do  far  more  than  they  could  do. 

A  settlement,  begun  by  the  Methodist  missionaries  and  in- 
creased by  free  trappers  and  a  few  others,  was  growing  up  in 
the  Willamette  Valley.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  could  not 
drive  them  out  by  means  which  could  possibly  be  recognized  as 
legal,  as  they  had  the  fur  companies.  It  was  necessary  to  re- 
sort to  other  tactics.  They  realized  that  the  only  way  to 
overcome  the  influences  of  this  settlement  was  to  bring  enough 
of  their  own  people  to  outnumber  the  Americans.  It  was  not 
very  difficult  to  do  this  at  that  time. 

In  the  fall  of  1840,  according  to  Gray's  History  of  Oregon, 
there  were  137  Americans  in  the  country,  including  mission- 
aries, settlers,  women  and  children,  and  early  in  1842  the 
number  was  not  far  different.  At  the  same  time  there  were 
63  Canadians,  exclusive  of  those  who  were  directly  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Hence,  it  would  not  re- 
quire a  great  increase  of  British  subjects  to  outnumber  the 


The  Immigration  of   1843  207 

Americans,  especially  when  we  consider  what  use  might  have 
heen  made  of  the  persons  directly  connected  with  the  Company, 
of  whom  there  were  more  than  five  hundred  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Accordingly,  in  1841,  an  immigration  of  about 
eighty  persons  was  brought  from  the  Red  River  settlement  at 
Manitoba,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  the 
intention  of  the  Company  to  bring  another  immigration  a  year 
or  two  later.  At  least  that  is  the  testimony  of  one  of  the  im- 
migrants of  1841 ;  but  they  were  so  dissatisfied  with  their 
treatment  bjr  the  Company  after  their  arrival  that  the  colony 
scattered,  and  so  no  more  emmigrants  came  from  that  place. 

In  1811-12  the  same  company  had  adopted  a  similar  policy 
to  cut  off  the  trade  of  the  French  Northwest  Fur  Company, 
and  the  Red  River  settlement,  directly  in  the  line  of  their 
trade,  was  the  result. 

Dr.  Whitman  realized  these  facts,  evidently,  more  clearly 
than  any  other  American  on  the  Coast.  A  favorite  idea  with 
Senator  Benton  was  that  the  best  way  to  settle  the  Oregon 
question  was  to  plant  thirty  thousand  rifles  in  the  Willamette 
Valley.  These,  he  thought,  would  hold  the  country.  But  to 
do  this  was  not  very  practical,  as  it  would  involve  action  by 
the  government,  which  at  best  is  usually  slow,  and  would  also 
look  as  if  the  United  States  intended  to  take  military  posses- 
sion of  the  country,  which  would  be  an  infraction  of  the  treaty 
then  existing,  allowing  joint  occupation. 

Dr.  Whitman  believed  in  the  same  principle  of  possession 
by  settlement,  but  had  a  more  practical  plan  of  carrying  it  out. 
It  was  to  plant  a  few  thousand  settlers  in  the  country  with 
sheep  instead  of  rifles.  It  is  not,  however,  true  that  he  in- 
duced the  whole  of  the  immigration  of  1843  to  start,  for  other 
causes  had  been  at  work.  Some  of  those  immigrants  never 
heard  of  him  until  they  were  well  on  their  way.  Senator  Ap- 
pleton  had  prepared  a  Congressional  report,  which  was  read 
by  some  people  with  care.  Senator  Linn,  of  Missouri,  had  not 
long  previously  introduced  a  bill  into  Congress  granting  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  to  each  man  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  to  each  child  who  should  emigrate  to  Oregon. 
Willi  his  colleague,  Senator  Benton,  he  worked  earnestly  for 
the  Northwest  Const,  and  this  had  the  effect  of  inducing  more 


208  Marcus  Whitman 

of  the  people  of  Missouri  to  come  among  the  first  immigrants 
than  came  from  any  other  state. 

Consequently,  Hon.  J.  M.  Shively,  late  proprietor  of  As- 
toria, Oregon,  began  in  November,  1842,  to  work  earnestly  for 
the  object,  holding  meetings  in  Missouri  and  going  to  Washing- 
ton to  further  the  cause.  Senator  Linn's  bill  did  not  finally 
pass  as  it  was  first  introduced,  but  there  was  considerable  prob- 
ability that  it  would,  and  this  was  one  means  of  interesting 
Hon.  P.  H.  Burnett  in  the  subject,  who  also  held  meetings  with 
the  same  object  in  view.  Mr.  Robert  Shortess  had  crossed  the 
plains  in  1839,  and  he  wrote  letters  to  friends  in  Missouri 
describing  the  country,  which  caused  the  Applegates  and  some 
others  to  determine  to  come,  and  by  the  use  of  the  press  they 
aroused  others.  But  Mr.  Shortess,  according  to  Bev.  J.  S. 
Griffin,  who  also  came  in  1839,  wrote  some  of  his  letters  from 
Dr.  Whitman's  and  doubtless  received  some  of  his  information 
from  the  Doctor.  It  would  not  be  strange  if  the  Doctor  knew 
of  these  efforts  of  Mr.  Shortess.  Dr.  White  in  1842  brought  an 
immigration  of  137  persons,  and  the  efforts  aroused  others  who 
could  not  come  that  year,  but  who  did  come  in  1843.  Mr. 
James  Athey,  of  Oregon  City,  and  Hon.  J.  W.  Nesmith  were 
among  those  thus  influenced  to  come. 

The  immigration  of  1842,  by  far  the  largest  which  had  then 
come,  showed  very  plainly  the  growing  interest  about  Oregon 
in  the  States.  Even  as  early  as  May  12,  1842,  Mr.  Gray  had 
written  to  the  Board:  "There  will  probably  be  a  large  party 
of  emigrants  coming  to  this  country  in  the  spring  of  1843. 
Some  young  men  are  now  returning  with  the  expectation  of 
bringing  out  a  party  next  spring." 

(a)  We  will  first  consider  the  Doctor's  intentions  and  ef- 
forts in  this  line.  One  of  his  reasons  for  going  East  was,  as 
Bev.  Gustavus  Hines  expresses  it,  "With  the  avowed  inten- 
tion of  bringing  back  with  him  as  many  as  he  could  enlist  for 
Oregon."  * 

Says  P.  B.  Whitman:  "Dr.  Whitman's  trip  East,  in  the 
winter  of  1842-43,  was  for  the  double  purpose  of  bringing  an 
immigration  across  the  plains,  also  to  prevent,  if  possible,  the 

1  "American  Historical  Review,"  January,  1901,  p.  294. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  209 

trading  off  of  this  Northwest  Coast  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment." 

Dr.  8.  J.  Parker,  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  in  speaking  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  two  visits  to  his  father,  in  1843,  both  before 
going  to  Washington  and  after,  says:  "At  both  times  the 
subject  of  emigration  was  talked  of.  Dr.  Whitman  said  many 
in  Illinois  and  Missouri,  etc.,  were  ready  to  go  and  would  go 
in  the  spring,  as  soon  as  the  grass  grew."  1 

Says  Dr.  Geiger,  after  giving  his  account  of  Dr.  Whitman's 
interview  at  Washington,  and  of  the  promise  he  received  from 
the  President  that  he  would  wait  before  proceeding  further 
with  the  Oregon  business,  until  the  Doctor  should  see  whether 
he  could  get  the  immigration  through,  "he  immediately  seut 
back  word  to  Missouri  to  those  who  wished  to  go,  and  had  it 
published  in  the  papers  and  in  a  pamphlet.''2 

The  following  was  written  by  Whitman  from  the  Shaw- 
nee mission  near  Westport,  Missouri,  May  28,  1843,  to  his 
brother-in-law,  J.  G.  Prentiss:  "You  will  be  surprised  to 
learn  that  I  am  here  yet.  I  have  been,  as  it  were,  waiting  for 
three  weeks.  When  I  got  to  St.  Louis  I  found  I  had  time  and 
so  I  went  to  Quincy  (111.)  and  saw  sister  Jane,  but  Edward 
was  not  there.  ...  I  shall  start  tomorrow  or  next  day. 
Some  of  the  emigrants  have  been  gone  a  week  and  others  are 
just  going.     The  number  of  men  will  be  over  two  hundred,  be- 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  26. 

2  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  4.  The  objection  has  been  raised 
more  than  once  that  this  was  not  so,  because  no  such  pamphlet  and 
no  such  statements  in  any  papers  have  been  found.  This  to  the  au- 
thor is  no  valid  objection,  for  he  has  lived  so  long  on  the  frontier  as 
to  know  that  many  pamphlets  go  so  completely  out  of  existence  that 
some  are  never  found,  and  some  only  by  the  merest  chance.  It  is 
almost  or  quite  impossible  to  obtain  full  files  of  many  of  the  news- 
papers published  in  the  forties.  He  has  never  heard  that  any  search 
has  been  made  among  the  papers  of  Missouri  of  lSl.'i  for  anything  of 
this  kind.      Even  books  go  to  the  unknown. 

For  example,  he  had  never  seen  Palmer's  "Journal  of  Travels  Over 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  1845-6,"  a  book  of  189  pages,  although  two 
editions  were  published,  in  1847  and  1852,  and  yet  he  has  tried  both 
in  the  East  and  West  to  obtain  a  copy.  All  he  knows  of  it  is  from 
the  testimony  of  those  who  have  seen  it.  Tt  is  many  more  times 
probable  that   a  small  pamphlet   of   L843  would  go  to  the  unknown. 


210  Marcus  Whitman 

sides  women  and  children.  This  tells  for  the  occupation  of 
Oregon.  A  great  many  cattle  are  going,  but  no  sheep,  from 
a  mistake  of  what  I  said  when  passing.  Next  year  will  tell 
for  sheep.  .  .  .  You  will  be  best  judge  what  can  be  done, 
and  how  far  you  can  exert  yourself  in  these  matters,  and 
whether  the  secret  service  fund  can  be  obtained.  As  now  de- 
cided in  my  mind,  this  Oregon  will  be  occupied  by  American 
citizens.  Those  who  go  only  open  the  way  for  more  another 
year.  Wagons  will  go  all  the  way,  I  have  no  doubt,  this  year. 
.  .  .  Sheep  and  cattle,  but  especially  sheep,  are  indispensable 
for  Oregon.  ...  I  mean  to  impress  on  the  Secretary  of 
War  that  sheep  are  more  important  to  Oregon  interests  than 
soldiers.  WTe  want  to  get  sheep  and  stock  from  Government 
for  Indians,  instead  of  money  for  their  lands.  I  have  written 
him  on  the  main  interests  of  the  Indian  country,  but  I  mean 
still  to  write  him  a  private  letter  touching  some  particular  in- 
terests. I  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised  to  see  some,  if  not  all, 
of  you  on  our  side  of  the  mountains.  Jackson  talked  favor- 
ably." *  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  he  was  trying  to  induce 
his  friends  to  go  to  Oregon,  and  that  he  had  said  something 
about  immigrants  going  there  when  he  was  passing  through 
Missouri,  on  his  way  East,  as  he  was  misunderstood  about 
sheep. 

The  following,  written  by  Mr.  Prentiss  to  the  author,  from 
West  Almond,  N.  Y.,  November  18,  1883,  bears  further  on 
the  subject :  "If  I  could  see  and  talk  to  you  of  what  the  Doc- 
tor said  to  me  on  the  subject  of  his  trip,  and  how  anxious  he 
was  to  continue  his  journey  and  get  all  to  go  with  him  he  came 
in  contact  with  in  this  town,  and  eight  miles  from  here  at  West 
Almond,  where  I  then  lived,  and  on  his  way  to  Cuba,  where  my 
father  and  mother  lived  at  that  time,  it  would  explain  much 
that  he  wrote  me  about.  His  project  was,  so  far  as  the  In- 
dians were  concerned,  to  induce  the  Government  to  pay  them 
off  for  their  land  in  sheep,  and  leave  them  to  be  a  herding  peo- 
ple. Hence  he  wrote  in  his  letter  to  me  about  a  secret  fund 
that  was  controlled  by  the  Cabinet,  etc.,  and  in  his  urgent 
solicitations  was  so  anxious  to  have  Mr.  Jackson,  a  brother-in- 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  33. 


The  Immigration  of   1843  211 

law,  and  myself  to  go.  He  would  have  it,  my  aged  parents, 
Judge  Prentiss  and  wife,  might  endure  the  journey,  and  his 
solicitations  outside  of  the  family  were  just  as  urgent,  portray- 
ing the  beauties  of  that  country  to  all  that  would  listen  to  his 
story."  l 

To  induce  people  to  emigrate  to  Oregon  and  to  make  sure 
of  their  reaching  the  Columbia  River  with  their  wagons,  was 
to  be  the  proof  of  his  statement  at  Washington  that  Oregon 
was  worth  saving. 

(b)  How  much  the  Doctor  did  accomplish  the  author  has 
for  many  years  endeavored  to  learn  from  the  emigrants  of 
1843.  Thus  far  he  has  learned  in  various  ways  from  thirty- 
eight.  It  is  not  necessary  here  to  reproduce  the  letters  of 
those  who  were  not  influenced  in  any  way  by  the  Doctor  to 
come.  They  were  Hon.  Lindsay  Applegate  and  Hon.  Jesse  Ap- 
plegate,  and  A.  Hill,  who  were  induced  to  start  because  of  Mr. 
Shortess'  letter;  Mr.  Matheny,  W.  J.  Dougherty,  John  B.  Mc- 
Lane,  J.  G.  Barker,  J.  M.  Shively,  N.  K.  Sitton  (who  came  be- 
cause of  reading  Lewis  and  Clark's  expedition),  Mrs.  Jesse 
Looney,  P.  G.  Stewart,  W.  C.  Hembree,  H.  A.  Straight,  D.  S. 
Holman,  William  Wilson,  S.  M.  Gilmore,  H.  D.  O'Bryant.  O. 
Brown,  James  Athey,  and  Hon.  J.  W.  Nesmith  (who  came  be- 
cause of  Dr.  White's  work  the  year  before),  and  Gov.  P.  H. 
Burnett,  and  W.  T.  Xewby  (who  came  because  of  the  Linn 
bill),  twenty-two  persons  in  all.2 

On  the  other  hand,  the  following  letters  and  statements 
give  evidence  that  Dr.  Whitman  did  induce  some  to  start  who 
would  not  otherwise  have  done  so. 

William  Waldo,  January  21,  1883,  wrote:  "I  have  to  say 
tbat  Dr.  Whitman  was  in  some  of  the  Eastern  States  in  the 
winter  of  1842  and  3,  and  wrote  several  newspaper  articles  in 
relation  to  Oregon,  and  particularly  in  regard  to  the  health 
of  the  country.  These  letters  decided  my  father  to  move  to 
tli is  country,  as  he  had  already  determined  to  leave  Missouri. 
.  .  .  T  first  saw  him  on  the  Big  Blue  River.  ...  I  was 
then  about  ten  years  of  age,  but  I  remember  him  very  dis- 
pells' "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  34. 
2  See  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet"  for  letters  from  some  of  these. 


212  Marcus  Whitman 

tinctly,  for  the  reason  that  he  was  a  very  remarkable  man  in 
many  respects."  1 

Mrs.  C.  B.  Gary,  February  21,  1883,  wrote  the  author :  "It 
was  a  pamphlet  Dr.  Whitman  wrote  that  induced  me  to  come 
to  Oregon.     Met  him  first  on  the  plains." 

John  Hobson,  January  30,  1883,  wrote :  ''My  father's  fam- 
ily came  to  St.  Louis  in  March,  1843,  from  England  on  our  way 
to  Wisconsin,  but  on  account  of  snow  and  ice  in  the  river  we 
could  not  proceed,  and  while  detained  there  we  met  the  Doctor 
(Whitman)  and  several  others,  who  were  talking  of  coming 
to  Oregon ;  so  by  his  description  of  the  country,  and  proffered 
assistance  in  getting  here  free  of  charge,  my  father  with  fam- 
ily, and  Miles  Eyers  and  family,  Messrs.  Thomas  Smith,  a  Mr. 
Ricord,  and  J.  M.  Shively,  all  agreed  to  come.  All  came.  Mr. 
Eyers  was  drowned  in  Snake  River,  while  crossing  above  Boise. 
Thomas  Smith  went  to  California  in  1847.  Mr.  Ricord  went  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands  and  never  returned.  J.  M.  Shively  re- 
sides in  Astoria,  when  at  home,  but  is  now  in  California  for 
his  health.  The  Doctor  assisted  Eyers  and  father  in  purchas- 
ing wagons  and  mules  in  St.  Louis." 

John  Zachrey,  February  7,  1868,  wrote  to  Rev.  H.  H.  Spald- 
ing: "My  father  and  his  family  emigrated  to  Oregon  in  1843, 
from  the  State  of  Texas.  I  was  then  17  years  old.  The  occa- 
sion of  my  father  starting  that  season  for  this  country,  as  also 
several  of  our  neighbors,  was  a  publication  by  Dr.  Whitman,  or 
from  his  representations  concerning  Oregon,  and  the  route 
from  the  States  to  Oregon.  In  the  pamphlet  the  Doctor  de- 
scribed Oregon,  the  soil,  climate,  and  its  desirableness  for  Amer- 
ican colonies,  and  said  he  had  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
that  winter,  principally  to  take  back  that  season  a  train  of 
wagons  to  Oregon.  We  had  been  told  that  wagons  could  not 
be  taken  beyond  Fort  Hall ;  but  in  this  pamphlet  the  Doctor 
assured  his  countrymen  that  wagons  could  be  taken  from  Fort 
Hall  to  the  Columbia  River,  and  to  The  Dalles,  and  from  thence 
by  boats  to  the  Willamette;    that  himself  and  mission  party 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  30. 
J.    M.    Shively   afterwards    said    he    did    not    start   because    of    Dr. 
Whitman's  work. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  213 

had  taken  their  families,  cattle  and  wagons  through  to  the 
Columbia  six  years  before.  It  was  this  assurance  of  the  mis- 
sionary that  induced  my  father  and  several  of  his  neighbors  to 
sell  out  and  start  at  once  for  this  country."  * 

Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  March  24,  1884,  wrote  the  author:  "In 
early  life  I  resided  near  Uncle  Enoch  Garrison  and  wife,  who 

%i  7 

came  in  "4:>.  Mrs.  Garrison  often  told  me  the  incidents  of 
the  trip,  and  said  that  they  read  circulars  issued  by  Dr.  Whit- 
man that  caused  them  to  come  to  Oregon,  and  I  think  that  she 
said  that  they  saw  and  talked  with  him  about  it." 

William  Martin,  present  sheriff  of  Umatilla  County,  was 
living  in  Missouri  in  1842  when  the  Oregon  fever  seized  the 
Waldo  family,  aud  engaged  himself  to  work  for  the  Waldo 
family  for  one  year,  which  included  the  journey  to  Oregon,  and 
six  months  after  his  arrival.  He  and  his  cousin,  James  P. 
Martin,  came  with  the  Waldo  outfit.  He  also  remembers  that 
in  the  winter  preceding  his  departure  from  Missouri  the  news 
came  in  St.  Louis  papers  that  Mr.  Whitman  had  arrived  from 
Oregon  and  gave  notice  that  he  would  pilot  an  immigration 
across  the  plains  and  take  them  through  to  the  Columbia  with 
their  wagons.  This  encouraged  many  to  make  the  journey, 
who  would  not  otherwise  have  come." ' 

Hon.  Nineveh  Ford,  July  23,  1888,  wrote  the  author:  "In 
relation  to  Dr.  Whitman,  he  went  back  to  the  States,  '42.  In 
my  opinion  the  history  that  he  gave  of  Oregon  induced  hun- 
dreds of  persons  to  Oregon,  me  with  others."  3 

The  evidence  also  is  that  Nathan  Eaton,  Charles  Eaton,  A. 
J.  Hembree,  J.  A.  Stoughton,  and  P.  B.  Whitman  came  be- 
cause of  the  representations  of  the  Doctor.4 

This  makes  sixteen  out  of  thirty-eight,  or  over  two-fifths. 

P.  G.  Stewart,  already  referred  to  as  saying  he  was  not  in- 
duced through  Dr.  Whitman's  efforts  to  start,  added,  August 


2  hi 
s 


1  Spalding's  "Congressional  Pamphlet,"  p.  26. 
'Oregonian,"  January  3. 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Ford,  after  writing  the  above,  positively  denied 
before  his  death  that  anything  that  the  Doctor  did  induced  him  to 
immigrate. 

4  "Oregonian,"   November   21,    1895,   and   "Whitman   College   Quar- 
terly," March,  1898. 


214  Marcus  Whitman 

4,  1887,  in  a  letter  to  the  author :  "My  recollection  is  that  Dr. 
Whitman  joined  us  several  days  after  we  started.  There  were 
a  number  of  wagons  overtook  us  about  the  same  time.  These 
people  I  have  since  learned  were  induced  to  come  to  Oregon 
bv  Dr.  Whitman." 

(6)  The  sixth  and  last  objection  is  that  Dr.  Whitman  did 
nothing  worth  mentioning  to  help  the  immigrants,  so  that 
they  should  reach  the  Columbia  River  with  their  wagons. 

According  to  Governor  P.  H.  Burnett,  on  the  18th  of  May, 
the  immigrants  who  were  at  the  rendezvous  twelve  miles  west 
of  Independence,  Mo.,  and  just  beyond  the  State  line,  held  a 
meeting  and  appointed  a  committee  to  see  Dr.  WThitman  and 
attend  to  other  business,  and  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  the 
Big  Springs  on  Saturday,  May  20th.  On  that  day  Governor 
Burnett  says  he  attended  the  meeting  and  met  Dr.  Whitman.1 
As  it  has  been  denied  that  Dr.  Whitman  was  there  at  that 
time,  I  will  add  that  Senator  Nesmith,  in  a  letter  to  the  author, 
says  that  he  met  Dr.  Whitman  for  the  first  time  either  on  that 
day  or  a  day  or  two  afterwards.  Captain  John  Gantt,  an  old 
army  officer,  who  had  been  over  a  part  of  the  route  several 
times  with  the  fur  trappers,  was  then  employed  as  guide  as 
far  as  Fort  Hall.  According  to  other  authority,  Dr.  Whit- 
man did  not  wish  to  serve  as  guide,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  take 
that  responsibility  on  himself.  He  worked,  however,  in  har- 
mony with  the  guide,  according  to  Hon.  Jesse  Applegate,  and 
his  knowledge  of  the  country  and  of  the  best  ways  of  traveling 
at  times  made  him  guide  de  facto.  On  the  22nd  of  May  the 
immigration  started  on  their  untried  journey,  or  at  least  that 
part  of  it  started  in  which  Gov.  Burnett  was,  though  from 
Dr.  Whitman's  letters  it  is  plain  that  he  did  not  leave  the  Paw- 
nee mission  until  several  days  later.  They  numbered  295  men 
over  16  years  of  age,  capable  of  bearing  arms ;  about  875  per- 
sons, including  women  and  children,  111  wagons,  and  about 
two  thousand  horses  and  cattle. 

At  first  the  main  body  of  the  immigrants  organized  with  the 
intention  of  traveling  in  one  body,  but  it  was  soon  found  that 
it  was  too  cumbrous  to  travel  successfully.     Mr.  W.  J.  Dough- 

1  "Recollections  of  an  Old  Pioneer,"  p.  101. 


The  Immigration  of   1843  215 

erty  says  there  was  then  considerable  discussion  as  to  whether 
or  not  it  would  he  safe  to  divide  into  two  companies.  Dr. 
Whitman,  he  says,  thought  it  was,  and  advised  them  to  do  so. 
This  advice  was  followed  and  proved  to  be  safe.  At  the  cross- 
ing of  the  Big  Blue  this  division  was  made,  and  the  two  col- 
umns traveled  within  supporting  distance  of  each  other  as  far 
as  Independence  Rock,  on  the  Sweetwater.  From  this  point 
all  danger  from  the  Indians  was  over,  and  the  immigrants  sep- 
arated into  small  parties  better  suited  to  the  narrow  mountain 
paths  and  the  small  pastures. 

The  Laramie  River  was  so  high  from  the  melting  of  the 
snow  that  it  could  not  be  forded.  Boats  were  made  out  of 
wagon-beds  to  form  a  ferry,  and  then  it  was  necessary  that  a 
line  be  passed  to  the  opposite  shore.  Says  Mr.  Waldo:  aNo 
one  was  willing  to  risk  himself  in  swimming  the  river  and  car- 
rying the  line  but  Dr.  Whitman,  which  he  did  successfully. 
With  the  line  made  fast  around  his  waist,  he  plunged  in  and 
soon  landed  safe  on  the  other  shore,  thus  forming  a  complete 
ferry." 

"Those  who  saw  him  at  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte  River 
in  June  (July),  where  he  bid  them  throw  away  their  skin 
boats,  prepared  for  crossing,  and  saw  him  for  three  days 
crossing  and  re-crossing  that  wide  stream,  swimming  his  horse 
to  find  the  best  ford  ,and  at  last  heard  him  order  the  one  hun- 
dred or  more  teams  and  wagons  to  be  chained  together  and 
driven  in  one  long  line,  to  ford  for  two  miles  that  river,  swollen 
by  spring  floods,  cheering  the  drivers,  permitting  not  a  mo- 
ment's halt  lest  they  should  sink  in  the  quicksands,  will  never 
forget  the  man  and  the  deed."  1 

One  man,  Thomas  Ayres,  it  is  said,  then  recently  married, 
did  not  fancy  this  mode  of  crossing;  so  with  his  bride  in  a 
light  wagon  he  started  across  independent  of  the  train  and 
Dr.  Whitman's  advice,  but  after  both  of  them  had  received  a 
thorough  wetting  because  of  their  rashness,  he  acknowledged 
that  the  Doctor  knew  more  than  he  did  about  the  business,  and 
that  newly  married  people  should  not  put  on  too  much  style 
in  an  emigrant  train. 

1  G.  'H.  Atkinson's  "Address  before  the  Pioneer  and  Historical  So- 
ciety of  Oregon,"  p.  10. 


2 1  6  Marcus  Whitman 

Says  Hon.  Jesse  Applegate,  in  A  Day  With  a  Cow  Column 
in  1843:  "But  a  little  incident  breaks  the  monotony  of  the 
march.  An  emigrant's  wife,  whose  state  of  health  has  caused 
Dr.  Whitman  to  travel  near  the  wagon  for  the  day,  is  now 
taken  with  violent  illness.  The  Doctor  has  had  the  wagon 
driven  out  of  the  line,  a  tent  pitched,  and  a  fire  kindled.  Many 
conjectures  are  hazarded  in  regard  to  this  mysterious  pro- 
ceeding, and  as  to  why  this  lone  wagon  is  to  be  left  behind ; 
and  we,  too,  must  leave  it,  hasten  to  the  front  and  note  the 
proceedings,  for  the  sun  is  getting  low  in  the  west.  There  are 
anxious  watchers  for  the  absent  wagon,  for  there  are  many 
matrons  who  may  be  afflicted  like  its  inmate  before  the  journey 
is  over,  and  they  fear  the  strange  and  startling  practice  of  the 
Oregon  doctor  will  be  dangerous.  But  as  the  sun  goes  down 
the  absent  wagon  rolls  into  camp,  the  bright,  speaking  face 
and  cheery  look  of  the  Doctor,  who  rides  in  advance,  declare 
without  words  that  all  is  well,  and  both  mother  and  child  are 
comfortable." 

"I  would  fain  now  and  here  pay  a  passing  tribute  to  that 
noble  and  devoted  man,  Dr.  Whitman.  I  will  obtrude  no  other 
name  upon  the  reader,  nor  would  I  his,  were  he  of  our  party, 
or  even  living ;  but  his  stay  with  us  was  transient,  though  the 
good  he  did  was  permanent,  and  he  has  long  since  died  at  his 
post.  From  the  time  he  joined  us  on  the  Platte  until  he  left 
us  at  Fort  Hall,  his  great  experience  and  indomitable  energy 
were  of  priceless  value  to  the  migrating  column.  His  constant 
advice,  which  we  knew  was  based  on  a  knowledge  of  the  road 
before  us,  was,  'Travel,  travel,  travel ;  nothing  else  will  take 
you  to  the  end  of  your  journey ;  nothing  is  wise  that  does  not 
help  you  along;  nothing  is  good  for  you  that  causes  a  mo- 
ment's delay.'  His  great  authority  as  a  physician,  and  com- 
plete success  in  the  case  above  referred  to,  saved  us  many  pro- 
longed and  perhaps  ruinous  delays  from  similar  causes,  and  it 
is  no  disparagement  to  others  to  say  that  to  no  other  individual 
are  the  emigrants  of  1843  so  much  indebted  for  the  successful 
conclusion  of  their  journey  as  to  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman.  .  .  . 
The  encampment  is  a  good  one.  One  of  the  causes  that  threat- 
ened much  future  delay  has  just  been  removed  by  the  skill 
and  energy  of  that  'good  angel'  of  the  emigrants,  Dr.  Whit- 


The  Immigration  of  1 843  217 

man,  and  it  has  lifted  a  load  from  the  hearts  of  the  elders. 
Many  of  these  have  assembled  around  the  good  Doctor,  at  the 
tent  of  the  pilot  (which  is  his  home  for  the  time  being),  and 
are  giving  grave  attention  to  his  wise  and  energetic  counsel. 
The  careworn  pilot  sits  aloof,  quietly  smoking  his  pipe,  for  he 
knows  the  brave  Doctor  is  strengthening  his  hands.  But  time 
passes ;  the  watch  is  set  for  the  night.  .  .  .  Even  the  Doc- 
tor and  the  pilot  have  finished  their  confidential  interview, 
and  have  separated  for  the  night." ' 

Dr.  Whitman  then  went  ahead  and  soon  wrote  back  a  letter 
stating  that  the  Catholic  missionaries  had  discovered,  by  the 
help  of  their  Flathead  guide,  a  pass  through  the  mountains  by 
why  of  Fort  Bridger,  which  was  shorter  than  the  old  route, 
and  the  emigrants  followed  this  route  to  their  advantage. 

"At  the  crossing  of  Snake  River,  all  the  teams  were  chained 
together  in  a  long  string,  the  strongest  in  the  lead,  and  the 
weakest  in  the  middle,''  says  Hon.  S.  A.  Clarke.  "For  quite  a 
space  the  water  was  swift  and  deep.  As  soon  as  the  teams 
were  in  position,  Dr.  Whitman  tied  a  rope  around  his  wrist, 
and  starting  his  horse  into  the  swift  stream,  swain  him  over 
it.  He  then  called  for  several  others  to  do  the  same,  and 
when  there  were  enough  of  them  to  give  the  required  force,  the 
lead  team  was  started  into  the  current,  and  by  the  strength 
of  the  men  and  horses  on  the  other  side,  they  were  drawn 
across.  The  long  line  of  cattle  swung  down  the  stream  in  the 
center,  carried  down  by  the  strong  current,  but  as  soon  as  the 
lead  teams  touched  bottom  on  the  further  side,  everything  was 
safe." 

Hon.  Nineveh  Ford  added  the  following  incident  in  a  con- 
versation with  the  editor  of  the  Walla  Walla  Gazette,  in  1890: 
"In  crossing  the  Snake  River  Dr.  Whitman  hitched  all  the 
wagons  together.  I  had  a  stout  team  of  oxen  and  I  thought  I 
could  make  it  without  hitching  on.  I  drove  in  last  behind  the 
caravan.  The  wagons  and  teams  formed  a  dam  and  raised  the 
water  and  threw  it  back  on  me  until  it  was  beating  my  team 
down  to  a  percipice  and  a  whirlpool  not  more  than  thirty  yards 
below.      I  turned  the  heads  of  the  team  up-stream,  or  tried  to, 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1876,  pp.  63-04. 


218  Marcus  Whitman 

to  see  if  they  could  not  hold  up,  but  they  could  not  move.  We 
stood  there  until  the  whole  train  went  out  on  land  on  this  side 
of  the  Snake  River,  Dr.  Whitman  leading  the  caravan.  They 
got  out  all  safe,  and  left  me  way  back  in  the  river.  Dr.  Whit- 
man saw  me  and  rode  back  on  his  horse  and  threw  a  rope  to  me 
and  told  me  to  hitch  it  on  my  lead  oxen,  and  he  then  put  it  to 
the  horn  of  his  saddle.  In  this  way  he  towed  me  out  on  main 
land.  I  have  felt  grateful  to  him  ever  since,  and  when  he  was 
massacred  it  affected  me  very  much." 

Nothing  more  of  special  interest  occurred  until  they  reached 
Fort  Hall.  This  was  held  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  as 
the  key  to  Oregon,  as  far  as  wagons,  and,  consequently,  any 
large  emigration  were  concerned,  and  they  did  not  propose  to 
turn  this  key  and  unlock  this  gateway,  if  they  could  help  it, 
or  allow  any  one  else  to  do  so. 

Mr.  John  Dunn,  who  was  for  eight  years  in  the  employ  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  who  wrote  his  work  on  the 
Oregon  Territory  in  1843  or  1844,1  says  that  those  who  have 
passed  through  the  gorge  and  over  the  towering  heights  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  give  as  their  testimony  that  there  is  no  se- 
cure, expeditious  or  commodious  track  which  can  ever  be 
used  as  a  highway;  and  that,  although  more  favorable  ac- 
counts had  been  given  by  those  who  had  passed  over  during 
the  previous  year  or  two,  yet  these  accounts  were  mere  bravado. 

In  1840  Rev.  H.  Clark  and  a  few  missionary  associates 
had  come  as  far  as  Fort  Hall  with  wagons.  They  were  told 
by  the  agents  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  that  it  was  im- 
practicable, if  not  impossible,  to  take  their  wagons  to  Walla 
Walla.  Consequently,  their  teams  and  wagons  were  exchanged 
for  pack  animals  and  fixtures. 

In  1842  the  same  misrepresentations  were  again  successful 
with  the  first  regular  company  of  emigrants  of  137  persons, 
led  by  Dr.  E.  White,2  and  now,  in  1843,  the  same  plan  was 
again  tried.  Even  two  years  later,  in  1845,  after  the  emi- 
grants of  1843  and  1844  had  taken  their  wagons  to  the  Colum- 
bia, says  Gen.  Joel  Palmer,  "the  two  crossings  of  Snake  River 

'Dunn's  "Oregon  Territory,"  pp.  345,  346. 
1  Hasting's  "Oregon  and  California,"  p.  20. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  219 

and  the  crossing  of  the  Columbia  and  other  smaller  streams 
were  represented  by  those  in  charge  of  this  fort  as  being  at- 
tended with  great  danger;  it  was  also  said  that  no  company 
heretofore  attempting  the  passage  of  those  streams  succeeded 
but  with  the  loss  of  men  from  the  violence  and  rapidity  of  the 
currents.  In  addition  to  the  above,  it  was  asserted  that  three 
or  four  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  middle  regions  had  combined 
for  the  purpose  of  preventing  our  passage  through  their  coun- 
try. In  case  we  escaped  destruction  at  the  hands  of  the  sav- 
ages, we  were  told  that  a  more  fearful  enemy,  famine,  would 
attend  our  march,  as  the  distance  was  so  great  that  winter 
would  overtake  us  before  making  the  Cascade  Mountains.  On 
the  other  hand,  as  an  inducement  to  pursue  the  California 
route,  we  were  informed  of  the  shortness  of  the  route,  when 
compared  with  that  to  Oregon,  as  also  of  the  many  other  su- 
perior advantages  it  possessed." 

But  the  emigrants  of  1815  knew  that  those  of  1844  and  1843 
had  taken  their  wragons  through ;  those  of  1844  knew  the  same 
to  be  true  of  those  of  1843;  but  those  of  1843  had  no  such 
precedent  before  them — in  fact,  no  precedent  but  failure. 

Dr.  Whitman  evidently  realized  as  much  as  Captain  Grant 
did  that  here  was  the  key  to  Oregon,  and  he  proposed  to  un- 
lock the  door.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  other  man  could 
have  done  so.  He  knew  that  in  183G  he  had  taken  a  cart  as 
far  as  Fort  Boise.  He  knew  that  in  1840  Dr.  Kobert  Newell, 
Col.  J.  L.  Meek,  and  two  others,  had  taken  three  wagons  to 
Walla  Walla;  and,  although  Dr.  Newell  had  found  it  so  dif- 
ficult that  he  had  on  his  arrival  at  Dr.  Whitman's  expressed 
his  regret  that  he  had  undertaken  the  job,  yet  Dr.  Whitman  had 
said  to  him :  "Oh,  you  will  never  regret  it.  You  have  broken 
the  ice,  and,  when  others  see  that  wagons  have  passed,  they, 
too,  will  pass,  and  in  a  few  years  the  valley  will  be  full  of  our 
people." 

At  an  opportune  moment  when  Dr.  Whitman  was  absent 
from  camp  at  Fort  Hall,  similar  discouraging  representations 
were  made  to  the  emigrants  of  1843.  They  were  told  that  they 
must  trade  off  their  wagons  or  go  to  California.  When  Dr. 
Whitman  came  into  camp,  he  found  them  in  a  sad  state;  some 
in   tears,  some  almost  ready  to  accept  the  statements  made. 


220  Marcus  Whitman 

and  some,  according  to  Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  about  ready  to  deal 
summarily  with  the  Doctor  for  having  induced  them  to  come 
on  such  a  trip.  But  he  knew  that  "what  man  had  done  man 
could  do,"  and,  at  this  juncture,  is  said  to  have  addressed  them 
substantially  as  follows:  "My  countrymen,  you  have  trusted 
me  thus  far;  believe  me  now.  I  will  take  your  wagons  to  the 
Columbia  River." 

Says  Hon.  J.  W.  Nesmith  of  this  event:  "Captain  Grant 
endeavored  to  dissuade  us  from  proceeding  further  with  our 
wagons,  and  showed  us  the  wagons  that  the  emigrants  of  the 
preceding  year  had  abandoned  as  an  evidence  of  the  impracti- 
cability of  our  determination.  Dr.  Whitman  was  persistent 
in  his  assertion  that  wagons  could  proceed  as  far  as  the  Grand 
Dalles  of  the  Columbia  River,  from  which  point  he  asserted 
tbey  could  be  taken  down  by  rafts  or  batteaux  to  the  Willam- 
ette Valley,  while  our  stock  could  be  driven  by  an  Indian  trail 
over  the  Cascade  Mountains,  near  Mount  Hood.  Happily, 
Whitman's  advice  prevailed,  and  a  large  number  of  the  wagons, 
with  a  portion  of  the  stock,  did  reach  Walla  Walla  and  The 
Dalles,  from  which  points  they  were  taken  to  the  Willamette 
the  following  year.  Had  we  followed  Grant's  advise,  and  aban- 
doned the  cattle  and  wagons  at  Fort  Hall,  much  suffering  must 
have  ensued,  as  a  sufficient  number  of  horses  to  carry  the 
women  and  the  children  of  the  party  could  not  have  been  ob- 
tained ;  besides,  wagons  and  cattle  were  indispensible  to  men 
expecting  to  live  by  farming  in  a  country  destitute  of  such  ar- 
ticles." \  Gov.  P.  H.  Burnett  adds  similar  testimony  as  fol- 
lows: "We  had  now  arrived  at  a  most  critical  period  in  our 
most  adventurous  journey,  and  we  had  many  misgivings  as  to 
our  ultimate  success.  We  had  yet  to  accomplish  the  untried 
and  most  difficult  portion  of  our  long  and  exhaustive  journey. 
We  could  not  anticipate  at  what  moment  we  might  be  com- 
pelled to  abandon  our  Avagons  in  the  mountains,  pack  our 
scant  supplies  upon  our  poor  oxen,  and  make  our  way  on  foot 
through  this  terribly  rough  country,  as  best  we  could.  We 
fully  comprehended  the  situation,  but  we  never  faltered  in  our 
inflexible  determination  to  accomplish  the  trip,  if  within  the 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Society,"  1873-5,  p.  47. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  221 

limits  of  possibility,  with  the  resources  at  our  command.  Dr. 
Whitman  assured  us  we  could  succeed,  and  encouraged  and 
aided  us  with  every  means  in  his  power.  I  consulted  Mr. 
Grant  as  to  his  opinion  of  the  practicability  of  our  taking  our 
wagons  through.  He  replied  that,  while  he  would  not  say  that 
it  was  impossible  for  us  Americans  to  make  the  trip  with  our 
wagons,  he  could  not  see  himself  how  it  could  be  done.  He 
had  only  traveled  the  pack  trail,  and,  certainly,  no  wagons 
could  follow  that  route ;  but  there  might  be  a  practicable  road 
found  by  leaving  the  trail  at  certain  points."  x 

Says  Mr.  J.  Baker,  in  a  letter  to  the  author:  uHe  (Dr. 
Whitman)  was  up  every  morning  and  getting  all  hands  ready 
for  the  day's  march.  Some  time  before  we  arrived  at  Fort 
Hall,  the  Doctor  left  us  and  said  he  would  go  on  and,  if  he 
could  not  find  a  pilot  to  conduct  us  through,  he  would  wait 
at  Fort  Hall  till  we  came  up. 

"The  Doctor  remained  there  until  we  came  up,  and  told  us 
that  he  could  not  get  a  pilot  that  he  could  rely  upon  to  con- 
duct us  through.  Captain  Grant,  after  advising  us  to  aban- 
don our  wagons  or  leave  them  and  pack  through,  said,  'I  was 
going  to  say  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  through  with  your 
wagons,  but  I  will  not  say  that  for  if  the  Americans  took  a 
notion  to  remove  Mount  Hood  they  would  do  it.'  This  I  got 
from  Captain  Grant's  own  mouth. 

"Dr.  Whitman  was  present,  and  said,  at  the  same  time, 
'Never  leave  your  wagons.  I  will  take  you  through  to  my 
place  this  season,  and  I  think  you  can  go  to  The  Dalles;  but 
you  cannot  cross  the  Cascade  Mountains  this  year.'' 

Orus  Brown,  of  the  same  emigration,  adds  in  a  letter  to 
Rev.  II.  II.  Spalding,  .January  10,  1808:  "I  asked  Captain 
Grant  if  he  thought  we  could  get  through  with  our  wagons; 
lie  answered,  kYes,  if  you  have  ;i  regiment  to  each  wagon.'" 

II.  I).  O'Bryant  also  says  in  a  letter  to  the  same  gentleman, 
March  5,  L868,  that  he  heard  Captain  Grant  repeatedly  make 
the  assertion  thai  the  wagons  of  the  emigrants  could  not  reach 
Oregon;  ilia  I  il  was  a  worthless  country,  thai  (here  was  no 
timber  on  the  Columbia  River  except  driftwood,  but  California 

'"Recollections  of  an  C)\,\  Pioneer,"  p.  117. 


222  Marcus  Whitman 

was  a  splendid  country,  and  he  advised  the  emigrants  by  all 
means  to  go  to  California. 

Says  P.  B.  Whitman :  "'When  we  arrived  at  Fort  Hall  I 
heard  the  commandant  tell  the  immigrants  that  Dr.  Whitman 
would  starve  them  all  to  death  if  he  got  them  down  in  the 
Green  (Snake)  River  country.  He  said  they  could  never  get 
their  wagons  to  the  Columbia  in  their  lives.  I  went  and  told 
Dr.  Whitman  about  it,  and  he  got  the  immigrants  together 
and  gave  them  a  harangue.  He  told  them  he  could  get  them 
to  the  Columbia  River  if  he  lived ;  that  they  had  just  to  stick 
to  their  wagons  and  follow  him  and  he  would  get  them  through. 
There  had  been  other  small  immigrations  with  wagons,  but 
they  had  all  come  just  that  far  and  left  their  wagons,  and  got 
rid  of  their  cattle,  by  driving  them  off  or  giving  them  away. 
1  heard  Dr.  Whitman  urge  his  followers  to  hold  their  cattle, 
as  they  were  the  ones  that  would  make  them  a  living  when  they 
got  to  the  Willamette.  He  also  told  them  they  could  not  break 
the  soil  properly  with  Indian  ponies.  They  all  stuck  to  their 
wagons." 1 

On  account  of  the  need  of  his  professional  services  at  the 
Lapwai  mission,  it  became  necessary  for  the  Doctor  to  leave 
the  main  body  of  the  emigrants,  as  they  left  Fort  Hall,  and 
proceed  ahead.  With  the  expectation  that  Dr.  Whitman  would 
bring  some  emigrants  back  with  him,  especially  those  who 
would  aid  in  missionary  work,  Mr.  Win.  Oeiger,  in  charge  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  station  during  his  absence,  had  sent  some 
provisions  by  Indians  to  Fort  Hall.  Most  of  these  Dr.  Whit- 
man distributed  to  the  emigrants  before  he  started.  Says  J. 
B.  McLane  in  a  letter  to  the  writer: 

"The  Doctor  was  a  man  among  men,  and  was  a  warm  friend 
of  mine.  You  may  judge  something  of  the  man  by  the  follow- 
ing facts :  When  we  left  Fort  Hall  we  secured  a  light  wagon 
and  put  two  horses  to  it  for  the  purpose  of  leaving  a  track  for 
the  wagons  to  follow ;  from  the  fact  that  he  expected  Mrs. 
Spalding,  and  I  think  your  mother,  to  be  sick  about  that  time, 
he  left  us  at  Grande  Ronde  and  went  on  (to  Mrs.  Spalding's) 
before  going  home  to  his  place.     The  Indians  had  brought  con- 

1  "Whitman  College  Quarterly,"  June,  1898,  p.  35. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  223 

siderable  flour  to  him  at  Fort  Hall,  and  the  morning  we  left 
there  he  distributed  all  the  provisions  he  had  to  the  needy 
emigrants,  except  about  fifty  pounds  for  five  of  us  who  were 
in  his  mess,  and  the  only  ones  who  went  ahead  of  the  wagons. 
I  was  the  driver  of  the  light  wagon.  I  must  state  another 
fact — that  he  picked  up  some  beef  bones  the  morning  we  left 
Fort  Hall,  and  a  young  calf  that  was  dropped  that  morning; 
and  of  course,  it  was  too  young  to  travel,  and  it  was  knocked 
on  the  head  and  put  in  my  wagon  for  us  to  eat.  But  I  lost 
that  calf  out  before  we  arrived  at  camp ;  it  was  rather  young 
for  us." 

While  the  Doctor  preceded  the  main  emigration  and  left  a 
wagon  track,  he  also  procured  Indian  guides  for  those  behind 
him.  Says  Hon.  J.  W.  Nesmith:  "Istikus,  a  Cayuse  chief, 
and  other  Indians  were  returning  from  the  buffalo  country,  and 
Dr.  Whitman  recommended  him  as  a  guide.  He  was  a  faithful 
old  fellow,  perfectly  familiar  with  all  the  trails  and  topography 
of  the  country  from  Fort  Hall  to  The  Dalles,  and  although  not 
speaking  a  word  of  English,  and  no  one  of  our  party  a  word 
of  Cayuse,  he  succeeded  by  pantomime  in  taking  us  over  the 
roughest  wagon  road  I  ever  saw." 

In  relation  to  the  latter  part  of  the  journey,  Dr.  Whitman 
wrote:  "I  tried  to  leave  the  party  at  different  points,  but 
found  that  I  could  not  do  so  without  subjecting  the  emigrants 
to  considerable  risk.  At  the  Grande  Konde,  east  of  the  Blue 
Mountains,  I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Walker  urging  me  to 
hasten  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  who  were  both  dangerously 
sick.  Having  engaged  one  of  the  Cayuses  to  conduct  the  party 
across  the  Blue  Mountains  into  the  main  Columbia  Valley, 
which  he  did  in  a  very  judicious  manner,  I  went  directly  to 
Mr.  Spalding's,  where  I  arrived  on  the  25th  of  September." 

Having  visited  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  whom  he  found 
convalescent,  he  went  to  his  station,  and  then  north  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  to  the  station  of  Messrs.  Walker  and  Eells  on  a 
professional  visit,  and  then  returned  to  greet  some  of  the  emi- 
grants, who  were  by  that  time  arriving  at  his  own  station. 
Says  Governor  Burnett: 

"On  the  10th  of  October  we  arrived  within  three  miles  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  mission,  and  remained  in  camp  until  the  14th. 


224  Marcus  Whitman 

The  exhausting  tedium  of  such  a  trip  and  the  attendant  vexa- 
tions, have  a  great  effect  upon  the  majority  of  men,  especially 
those  of  weak  minds.  Men  under  such  circumstances  become 
childish,  petulant  and  obstinate.  I  remember,  while  we  were 
at  the  station  of  Dr.  Whitman,  who  had  performed  much  hard 
labor  for  us,  and  was  deserving  of  our  warmest  gratitude,  he 
was  most  ungenerously  accused  by  some  of  our  people  of  selfish 
motives  in  conducting  us  past  his  establishment,  where  we 
could  procure  fresh  supplies  of  flour  and  potatoes.  This  fool- 
ish, false  and  ungrateful  charge  was  based  upon  the  fact  that 
he  asked  us  a  dollar  a  bushel  for  wheat  and  fifty  cents  for  po- 
tatoes. As  our  people  had  been  accustomed  to  sell  their  wheat 
at  from  fifty  to  sixty  cents  a  bushel,  and  their  potatoes  at  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  cents  in  the  Western  States,  they  thought 
the  prices  demanded  by  the  Doctor  amounted  to  something  like 
extortion ;  not  reflecting  that  he  had  to  pay  at  least  twice  as 
much  for  his  own  supplies  of  merchandise,  and  could  not  af- 
ford to  sell  his  produce  as  low  as  they  did  theirs  at  home."  x 

Yet,  as  Dr.  Whitman's  mill  had  been  burned  by  the  Indians 
during  his  absence,  it  was  necessary  to  transport  the  flour  for 
them  from  the  station  of  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding,  a  hundred  miles 
distant.  He  also,  it  is  said,  furnished  them  a  guide  to  The 
Dalles  free  of  cost,  and  they  went  on  their  way  rejoicing. 

While  a  few  of  the  emigrants  felt  as  Governor  Burnett 
states,  the  larger  share  felt  very  grateful  to  him.  Extravagant 
statements  have  been  made  of  the  confidence  which  they  learned 
to  have  in  him.  It  is  reported  that  one  man  said  that  they 
were  so  readv  to  trust  him  that,  if  he  had  told  them  to  drive 
up  a  fir  tree,  he  believed  they  would  have  made  the  attempt. 
Mr.  Jesse  Applegate  presented  him  with  a  cow  in  appreciation 
of  his  services. 

The  following  testimonials  have  been  received  by  the  writer 
from  a  few  of  the  emigrants  of  that  year.  Says  Mr.  Wm. 
Waldo : 

"I  was  then  about  ten  years  of  age,  but  remember  him 
very  distinctly  for  the  reason  that  he  was  a  remarkable  man 
in  many  respects.     If  there  was  a  river  to  cross,  he  was  always 

1  "Recollections  of  an  Old  Pioneer,"  p.  126. 


The  Immigration  of  1843  225 

the  first  to  pass  over  and  report  whether  it  was  fordable  or 
not;  always  full  of  life  and  energy,  and  never  shrinking  from 
any  danger  or  responsibility." 

Says  Mr.  S.  M.  Gilmore:  "The  Doctor  gave  us  a  great 
deal  of  valuable  information  concerning  our  outfit  and  the 
manner  we  should  travel,  and  told  us  many  things  about  the 
country,  and  was  the  means  of  greatly  encouraging  the  emi- 
gration. He  impressed  on  us  the  necessity  of  taking  with  us 
uothing  but  what  we  really  needed  for  our  journey.  I  will 
say  that  every  time  I  talked  with  him  he  gave  me  valuable  in- 
formation, and  I  found  him  always  as  ready  to  give  as  I  was 
to  receive  information.  He  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  in- 
dustrious and  energetic  men  I  ever  knew.  He  was  of  ines- 
timable value  to  our  emigration." 

Hon.  J.  Hobson  says :  "At  the  Indian  mission,  a  few  miles 
from  Westport,  he  (Dr.  Whitman)  assisted  us  in  getting  more 
teams  and  horses.  He  did  everything  it  was  possible  for  a 
man  to  do  to  encourage  with  his  presence  and  assist  with  labor 
to  relieve  the  trip  of  its  weariness,  for  he  always  was  on  hand 
when  there  was  anything  to  do.  After  arriving  at  his  station, 
he  did  all  that  he  could  to  assist  us  with  provisions,  such  as 
were  to  be  had.  Our  part  of  the  emigration  being  late,  we 
were  compelled  to  leave  our  teams  and  wagons  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  We  also  left  two  of  my  sisters  with  the  Doc- 
tor. In  the  spring  of  1814,  I  with  some  of  our  neighbors,  went 
up  after  our  teams  and  brought  them  down.  I  brought  one  of 
my  sisters  down  and  left  one  with  the  Doctor.  She  remained 
until  184(5.  He  did  not  charge  us  anything  for  keeping  the 
girls,  neither  did  he  charge  us,  or  anybody  that  I  ever  heard 
of  at  the  time,  for  his  time  or  trouble ;  but  seemed  to  be  satis- 
fied that,  he  had  accomplished  his  object  in  safely  bringing  the 
emigration  through."  Says  Hon.  J.  W.  Nesmith:  "Dr.  Whit- 
man was  an  honest,  self-sacrificing,  good  man.  I  was  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three  years,  and,  unincumbered  with  family  or 
teams,  spent  much  of  my  time  in  company  with  the  Doctor, 
riding  in  advance  to  hunt  Ihe  best  wagon  route.  His  courage 
and  energy  and  devotion  won  my  youthful  admiration." 

In  an  address  before  the  Pioneer  Society  of  Oregon,  in 
1880,  Mr.  Xesinith  also  adds: 


226  Marcus  Whitman 

"I  regard  him  as  a  quiet,  unassuming  man,  and  of  great 
purity  of  character.  He  was  of  a  powerful  physical  organiza- 
tion, and  possessed  a  great  and  a  good  heart,  full  of  charity  and 
courage,  and  utterly  destitute  of  cant,  hypocrisy,  shams  and 
effemicay,  and  always  terribly  in  earnest.  While  with  us,  he 
was  clad  entirely  in  buckskin,  and  rode  upon  one  of  those  pa- 
tient, long-eared  animals  without  pride  of  ancestry  or  hope  of 
posterity.  The  Doctor  spent  much  time  in  hunting  out  the  best 
route  for  the  wagons,  and  would  plunge  into  streams  in  search 
of  practicable  fords,  regardless  of  the  depth  or  temperature  of 
water;  and  sometimes,  after  the  fatigue  of  a  hard  day's  march, 
would  spend  much  of  the  night  in  going  from  one  party  to 
another  to  minister  to  the  sick.  While  his  moral  example 
was  of  the  highest  character,  he  said  more  to  us  about  the 
practical  matters  connected  with  our  march  than  he  did  about 
theology  or  religious  creeds,  and  I  believe  that  his  conduct 
among  the  Indians  was  of  the  same  practical  and  useful  char- 
acter." * 

Mr.  W.  C.  Hembree  adds :  "Dr.  Whitman  was  a  noble  man 
in  deeds  of  kindness  to  the  emigrants  of  1843.  He  was  all  that 
could  be  wished,  always  ready  to  assist  the  emigrants  in  any 
way  he  could." 

Says  Captain  H.  D.  O'Bryant:  "Now,  as  regards  the 
services  the  Doctor  rendered  to  the  government  as  regarded 
the  then  situation  of  Oregon,  they  were  invaluable.  The  ser- 
vices the  Doctor  rendered  the  emigrants  before  reaching  Fort 
Hall  were  of  immense  value. 

"From  the  Fort  the  journey  commenced  in  earnest.  This 
was  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  way,  and  the  portion  of 
country  that  Captain  Grant  said  the  wagons  could  never  pass, 
and  it  was  useless  to  undertake  it;  but  in  the  face  of  all  this 
the  Doctor  brought  the  emigration,  wagons  and  all,  through 
safely.  And  I  say  without  fear  of  contradiction  that  the  ser- 
vices the  Doctor  rendered  the  emigration  from  Fort  Hall  to 
The  Dalles  were  invaluable,  and  to  prove  it  I  will  just  refer 
you  to  the  emigrants  of  1845,  who  were  in  the  Meek's  cut-off, 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1880,  p.  22. 


The  Immigration  of   1843  227 

and  the  emigration  of  1846,  who  were  in  Applegate's  (of  Ump- 
qna)  cut-off."1 

Says  P.  G.  Stewart:  ''The  Doctor  was  of  more  service  to 
us-  to  that  point  (Fort  Hall)  than  was  our  pilot.  I  do  not 
know  what  we  would  have  done,  had  not  Dr.  Whitman  told  us 
bow  and  where  to  cross  and  recross  Snake  River  and  he  saved 
us  much  time  in  getting  through  the  Burnt  River  country,  be- 
sides he  sent  an  Indian  to  pilot  us  through  the  Blue  Mountains. 
Finally  I  would  say  that  if  Dr.  Whitman  did  not  get  up  the 
emigration  of  1843,  he  fetched  us  safely  through."2 

Dr.  Whitman's  co-laborer,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding,  sums  up  his 
work  of  that  season  as  follows,  in  his  flowery  style:  "And 
through  that  great  emigration,  during  the  whole  summer,  the 
Doctor  was  their  everywhere  present  angel  of  mercy  minister- 
ing to  the  sick,  helping  the  weary,  encouraging  the  wavering, 
cheering  the  mothers,  mending  wagons,  setting  broken  bones, 
hunting  stray  oxen,  climbing  precipices,  now  in  the  rear,  now 
in  the  center,  now  at  the  front;  in  the  rivers  looking  out  fords; 
through  the  quicksands ;  in  the  deserts  looking  out  water ;  in 
the  dark  mountains  looking  out  passes,  at  noontide  or  mid- 
night, as  though  these  thousands  were  his  own  children  and 
those  flocks  were  his  own  property.  Although  he  asked  not 
and  expected  not  a  dollar's  reward  from  any  source,  yet  he 
felt  himself  abundantly  rewarded  when  he  saw  the  desire  of 
his  heart  accomplished,  the  great  wagon  route  over  the  moun- 
tains established,  and  Oregon  in  a  fair  way  to  be  occupied 
with  American  settlements  and  American  commerce.  And 
especially  he  felt  himself  doubly  paid  when,  at  the  end  of  his 
sucessful  expedition,  and  standing  alive  at  his  home  again,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Walla  Walla,  these  thousands  (hundreds)  of 
his  fellow  summer  pilgrims,  way-worn  and  sunbrowned,  took 
him  by  the  hand  and  thanked  him  with  tears  for  what  he  had 
done."  8 

The  President  sent  out  General  J.  C.  Fremont  that  year,  it 
is  said,  to  make  the  road  for  this  emigration,  and  protect  them 

'Letter  to   II.   IT.  Spalding,   March   15,  1868,  now  in  possession  of 
the  author. 

f 

2  Letter  to  the  author,  August  4,  1887. 

3  Spalding's  "Congressional  Pamphlet,"  p.  22. 


228  Marcus  Whitman 

from  the  Indians ;  but  while  he  left  the  frontier  about  the  same 
time  as  the  emigrants,  he  took  a  different  route,  and  did  not 
arrive  at  Walla  Walla  until  the  23rd  of  October,  nearly  a 
month  after  Dr.  Whitman's  arrival,  and  two  weeks  after 
Governor  Burnett's  section  of  the  emigration  had  reached  that 
place.  The  great  Pathfinder  found  that  the  path  had  been 
opened  and  protected  by  the  vigilance  of  our  humble  mission- 
ary. As  far  as  it  is  known,  the  emigrants  of  that  year  did 
not  lose  a  man  from  hostile  Indians. 

This  emigration  outnumbered  all  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany employes  and  Red  River  emigrants,  and  showed  our 
Government  that  an  emigration  could  reach  the  Columbia 
River,  so  that  after  that  the  Americans  had  no  idea  of  allow- 
ing any  of  the  country  south  of  the  present  line  which  divides 
Washington  from  British  Columbia  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
Great  Britain.  It  actually  saved  the  country  to  the  United 
States. 

Judge  William  Strong,  in  an  address  before  the  Oregon 
Pioneer  Society,  in  1878,  said:  "The  arrival  of  the  emigra- 
tion of  1843  may  be  considered  the  turning  point  in  the  history 
of  Oregon.  It  gave  the  American  population  in  the  Territory 
control  of  its  civil  affairs,  attracted  the  attention  and  excited 
the  interest  of  the  citizens  and  public  authorities  of  the  United 
States  in  this  then  almost  unknown  land,  and  thus  contributed 
materially  to  the  determination  of  the  boundary  question.  It 
made  Oregon  of  too  great  importance  to  permit  diplomacy  to 
trifle  it  away.  It  brought  the  valley  a  large  band  of  improved 
horses  and  cattle.  It  afforded  the  settlers  the  means  of  mak- 
ing themselves  at  home  in  the  country,  and  filled  their  hearts 
with  hopes  of  being  again  surrounded  by  American  citizens."  1 

And  Hon.  Elwood  Evans,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  says : 
''We  zealously  unite  in  ascribing  to  that  visit  the  greatest  re- 
sults in  the  future  of  Oregon ;  the  grandest  services  to  that 
large  train ;  the  importance  that  flowed  from  his  successful 
leading  of  that  train  through  the  Columbia  with  their  wagons. 
Those  results,  those  conclusions,  are  glorious  to  Dr.  Whitman's 
memory." 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1878,  p.  15. 


The  Immigration  of   1843  229 

This  emigration  determined  which  of  the  two  countries 
should  hold  the  country  by  right  of  settlement.  Nor  did  Dr. 
Whitman's  influence  cease  with  the  year's  emigration.  The 
success  of  this  company  in  reaching  Oregon  induced  another 
company  to  start  the  next  year.  Says  Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  who 
came  in  1844,_  after  speaking  of  Dr.  Whitman's  making  the 
route  and  guiding  the  emigrants  of  1843:  k'So  well  known 
was  this  fact  in  the  Western  States  that  Whitman  and  Oregon 
were  the  watch- words  of  the  emigration  of  1844."  So  his  in- 
fluence goes  on  down  from  year  to  year  and  from  generation 
to  generation,  and  will  be  felt  on  this  Northwest  Coast  as  long 
as  time  shall  last. 

There  at  Fort  Hall  the  final  victory  was  won,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  United  States  obtaining  possession  of  a  good  share, 
at  least,  of  this  Northwest  Coast.  Previous  to  1830,  when  Dr. 
Whitman  came  to  the  coast,  in  nearly  every  contest  which  the 
Americans  had  had  with  the  British  subjects,  they  had  been 
defeated.  Several  fur  companies,  among  which  were  the  Pa- 
cific Fur  Company,  with  John  Jacob  Astor  at  its  head;  the 
Missouri  Fur  Company,  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company, 
Wyeth's  Salmon  Cannery  and  Trading  Company,  Captain  Bon- 
neville,  and  others,  had  fought  the  battle  with  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  and  retired  in  defeat.  The  American  Society 
for  Encouraging  Settlers  in  the  Oregon  Territory,  with  Hall  J. 
Kelly  at  its  head,  had  lost  $30,000  and  retired  from  the  field. 
Astoria,  built  in  1811,  before  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were 
here,  and  Fort  Hall,  built  in  1834,  by  N.  J.  Wyeth,  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Thus,  previous  to  1834,  every 
American  effort  was  defeated.  In  that  year  Rev.  Jason  Lee 
and  others  crossed  the  Continent,  and  though  it  was  not  in 
their  first  plan,  actually  began  a  settlement  in  the  Willamette, 
which  greatly  assisted  in  the  final  victory.  The  same  year 
Rev.  Samuel  Parker  began  to  arouse  the  Congregational  and 
Presbyterian  Churches  and  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Missions  in  regard  to  missions  on  this 
Coast,  and  the  next  winter  found  Dr.  Whitman  and  interested 
him  in  the  work.  Then  it  was  thnt  the  tide  began  to  turn  in 
favor  of  the  United  States.  Tn  1830  when  Mrs.  Spalding  and 
Mrs.  Whitman  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  first  white 


230  Marcus  Whitman 

women  who  ever  did  so,  it  was  a  victory.  When,  during  the 
same  journey,  Dr.  Whitman  brought  the  first  wagon  that  ever 
broke  the  sage  brush  from  Fort  Laramie  to  Fort  Boise,  it  was 
another  victory.  When,  four  years  later,  Dr.  Robert  Newell 
and  company  took  three  wagons  to  Walla  Walla,  the  enemy 
was  again  overcome.  When,  again,  Dr.  Whitman  made  his 
journey  East  in  1843,  through  terrible  suffering,  and  gave  such 
information  at  Washington  that  the  opinions  of  the  rulers  as 
to  the  value  of  the  country  and  the  possibility  of  reaching  it 
with  wagons  were  changed,  still  another  victory  was  won.  But 
tbe  results  of  all  these  would  have  been  well  nigh  or  com- 
pletely lost  had  Captain  Grant  at  Fort  Hall  induced  the  emi- 
gration of  1843  to  do  as  he  wished.  There  was  no  flourish  of 
trumpets  or  sound  of  drums,  no  rattle  of  musketry  or  roar  of 
cannon  at  that  battle.  The  contest  was  simply  between  two 
men,  and  was  a  battle  of  brains  and  diplomacy,  but  the  results 
of  it  were  greater  than  oftentimes  when  many  thousands  have 
been  slain.  Each  of  the  parties  felt  in  a  measure  the  responsi- 
bility, and  Whitman  won. 

Fort  Hall  had  been  built  nine  years  previously  by  an  Ameri- 
can but  in  the  contest  between  the  trading  companies  it  quickly 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  Now  it  was  the  scene  of 
another  contest  when  settlements,  not  furs,  were  at  stake,  and 
the  Americans  gained  the  victory.  All  that  was  done  after 
this  was  simply  to  gather  up  the  spoils  and  make  the  treaty 
of  peace.  And  when,  in  1846,  the  treaty  was  signed  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  it  was  simply  writing  in 
an  official  way  what  had  been  written  "de  facto"  three  years 
previous  at  Fort  Hall. 

Says  Dr.  William  Barrows,  in  his  Oregon  address:  "In 
later  days,  when  the  spirit  of  war  was  aroused  for  the  whole 
of  Oregon  or  war,  the  question  was  raised  whether  it  was  to 
be  taken  under  the  walls  of  Quebec  or  on  the  Columbia. 
Neither  was  the  place.  Oregon  was  taken  at  Fort  Hall ;  for 
it  will  be  seen  that  from  this  time  the  grand  result  in  the  Ore- 
gon case  was  no  longer  an  open  and  doubtful  issue;  only  de- 
tails and  minor  adjustments  required  attention." 

Dr.  Whitman  took  the  same  view  of  affairs,  for  he  wrote 
to  his  wife's  father  and  mother,  May  16,  1844:      "I  did  not 


The  Immigration  of   J 843  231 

misjudge  as  to  my  duty  to  return  home.  The  importance  of 
my  accompanying  the  immigration  on  one  hand  and  the  conse- 
quent scarcity  of  provisions  on  the  other,  strongly  called  for 
my  return,  and  forbade  my  bringing  another  party  that  year. 
As  I  hold  the  settlement  of  this  country  by  Americans  rather 
than  by  an  English  colony  most  important,  I  am  happy  to 
have  been  the  means  of  landing  so  large  an  immigration  on  to 
the  shores  of  the  Columbia,  with  their  wagons,  families  and 
stock,  in  safety."  1 

Again,  October  18,  1847,  about  six  weeks  before  his  death, 
he  wrote  to  his  Home  Board :  "Two  things,  and  it  is  true  those 
which  were  the  most  important,  were  accomplished  by  my  re- 
turn to  the  States.  By  means  of  the  establishment  of  the 
wagon  road,  which  is  due  to  that  effort  alone,  the  emigration 
was  secured  and  saved  from  disaster  in  the  fall  of  1843.  Upon 
that  event  the  present  acquired  rights  of  the  United  States 
by  her  citizens  hung.  And  not  less  certain  is  it  that  upon  the 
results  of  emigration  to  this  country  the  present  existence  of 
this  mission  and  of  Protestantism  hung  also." 

And  in  England  the  same  view  has  been  taken.  A  writer 
in  the  British  Colonial  Magazine  said:  "By  a  strange  and  un- 
pardonable oversight  of  the  local  officers  missionaries  from 
the  United  States  were  allowed  to  take  religious  charge  of 
the  population,  and  these  artful  men  lost  no  time  in  introduc- 
ing such  a  number  of  their  countrymen  as  reduced  the  influence 
of  the  British  settlers  to  complete  insignificance." 

Says  Senator  Benton :  "So  far  as  the  action  of  the  Gov- 
ernment was  concerned,  it  operated  to  endanger  our  title  to 
the  Columbia,  to  prevent  emigration,  and  to  incur  loss  of  the 
country."  Ilis  first  reason  given  was  because  the  question 
was  not  settled  in  1818;  second,  because  it  was  not  settled  in 
1828;  third,  nor  in  1842;  and  fourth,  because  of  the  recom- 
mendation of  President  Tyler,  discountenancing  emigration  to 
Oregon  by  withholding  the  land  from  emigrants  until  the  two 
governments  should  settle  the  title  to  the  country.  This  title 
being  thus  endangered,  "the  saving  of  the  country  devolved 

1  "Oregon  Pioneer  Transaction,"  1803,  p.  04.  For  another  letter 
of  similar  import  see  chapter  7,  obj.  2,  g.  dated  April  1,  1847. 


232  Marcus  Whitman 

upon  the  people,  and  they  saved  it.  In  1842  (1843)  upwards 
of  a  thousand  went  to  the  country,  and  in  1843  (1844)  some 
two  thousand  more."  Hence,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  was  not 
far  from  the  truth  when  he  wrote  that,  when  the  rear  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  caravan  emerged  "From  the  western  shades  of  the 
Blue  Mountains  upon  the  plains  of  the  Columbia,  the  greatest 
work  was  finished  ever  accomplished  by  one  man  for  Oregon." 
Hon.  S.  A.  Clarke  adds:  "While  he  was  on  terms  of  in- 
timacy and  the  kindest  feeling  with  Dr.  McLoughlin  and  many 
others  of  the  British  party,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  he  did 
more  to  break  their  prestige  than  all  others  combined.  They 
knew  and  understood  his  sentiments,  and  respected  him  for 
holding  them  and  living  up  to  them.  He  was  a  remarkable 
man,  and  only  such  a  man  could  have  sustained  such  personal 
relations,  and  have  pursued  such  an  effective  policy  to  over- 
throw British  rule.  His  presence  in  Oregon  at  that  time  was 
a  providence  that  we  may  well  appreciate  who  reside  in 
the  land  that  he  did  so  much  for ;  a  land  that  possesses  every 
gift  nature  can  bestow,  and  whose  people  should  remember 
suitably  to  honor  the  memory  of  Marcus  Whitman.  When  the 
hour  came  that  Oregon  needed  a  champion,  he  was  raised  up 
to  enact  the  part,  'the  hour  and  the  man.'  " 

"It  is  forty  years,  to  this  very  year, 

Since  the  first  bold  wagon  train, 
With  man's  deep  vow  and  women's  tear, 

Struggled  across  the  plain. 
Brave  Whitman  piloted  the  way, 

As  on  four  months  they  pressed, 
They  pass  the  plains  with  summer  day, 

With  Autumn  gain  the  West." * 

Soon  after  reaching  his  station,  he  notified  the  Secretary 
of  War  of  the  safe  arrival  of  the  immigration,  giving  a  descrip- 
tion of  it,  in  the  letter  which  accompanied  his  proposed  bill  for 
the  action  of  Congress.2 

lS.   A.    Clarke,   in   "Willamette    Farmer,"   18S3.      Benton's   "Thirty 
Years,"  vol.  2,  p.  469. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    WHITMAN    CONTROVERSY. 

The  story  of  Dr.  Whitman  going  East  to  do  what  he  could 
to  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States,  and  of  what  he  accom- 
plished while  there,  both  at  Washington  and  with  the  emigra- 
tion of  1843,  was  first  published  in  1864  by  Mr.  Spalding  and 
Hon.  S.  A.  Clarke,  as  already  stated,  but  it  was  put  into  more 
permanent  form  by  Dr.  C.  Eells  in  the  Missionary  Herald  for 
December,  1866,  by  W.  H.  Gray  in  his  History  of  Oregon  in 
1870,  and  by  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  in  1871,  in  Executive  Docu- 
ment Xo.  37,  Jflst  Congress,  third  session. 

As  first  published,  there  were,  however,  several  mistakes, 
most  of  which  were  made  by  Mr.  Spalding,  though  other  writers 
made  one  or  two  or  else  copied  those  made  by  Mr.  Spalding. 
In  Executive  Document,  No.  37,  Jflst  Congress,  3rd  Session, 
Senate,  1871,  pp.  20-22,  Mr.  Spalding  said:  "The  peculiar 
event  that  aroused  Dr.  Whitman  and  sent  him  through  the 
mountains  of  New  Mexico  during  that  terrible  winter  of  1843 
to  Washington,  just  in  time  to  save  this  now  so  valuable 
country  from  being  traded  off  by  Webster  to  the  shrewd  Eng- 
lishman for  a  'cod  fishery'  down  East,  was  as  follows:  In 
October,  1842,  our  mission  was  called  together  on  business  at 
Waiilatpu,  Dr.  Whitman's  station,  and  while  in  session  Dr.  W. 
was  called  to  Fort  Walla  Walla  to  visit  a  sick  man.  While 
there  the  brigade  for  New  Caledonia,  fifteen  bateaux,  arrived 
at  that  point  on  their  way  up  the  Columbia,  with  Indian  goods 
for  the  New  Caledonia  or  Frazer  River  country.  They  were 
accompanied  by  some  twenty  chief  factors,  traders  and  clerks 
of  the  Hudson's  IJay  Company,  and  Kishop  Demois  [Demers], 
who  had  crossed  the  mountains  from  Canada  in  1830  [1838], 
the  first  Catholic  priest  on  this  coast.  Rishop  Rlanchet  came 
at  the  same  time. 


234  Marcus  Whitman 

"While  this  great  company  were  at  dinner,  an  express  ar- 
rived from  Fort  Colville  announcing  the  (to  them)  glad  news 
that  the  colony  from  Red  River  had  passed  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  were  near  Fort  Colville.  An  exclamation  of  joy 
burst  from  the  whole  table,  at  first  unaccountable  to  Dr.  Whit- 
man, till  a  young  priest,  perhaps  not  so  discreet  at  the  older, 
and  not  thinking  there  was  an  American  at  the  table,  sprang 
to  his  feet,  and  swinging  his  hand,  exclaimed,  'Hurrah  for 
Columbia  (Oregon)!  America  is  too  late;  we  have  got  the 
country.'  In  an  instant,  as  if  by  instinct,  Dr.  Whitman  saw 
through  the  whole  plan,  clear  to  Washington,  Fort  Hall  and 
all  (i.  e.,  the  stopping  of  all  immigrant  and  American  wagons 
at  Fort  Hall  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  every  year  to  that 
time).  He  immediately  rose  from  the  table,  and  asked  to  be 
excused,  sprang  upon  his  horse,  and  in  a  very  short  time  stood 
with  his  noble  'cayuse'  white  with  foam  before  his  door,  and 
without  stopping  to  dismount,  he  replied  to  our  anxious  in- 
quiries with  great  decision  and  earnestness,  'I  am  going  to 
cross  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  reach  Washington  this  winter, 
God  carrying  me  through,  and  bring  out  an  immigration  over 
the  mountains,  or  the  country  is  lost.'  The  events  soon  de- 
veloped that  if  that  whole-souled  American  missionary  was 
not  the  'son  of  a  prophet,'  he  guessed  right  when  he  said  'a 
deep-laid  scheme  was  about  culminating,  which  would  deprive 
the  United  States  of  this  Oregon,  and  it  must  be  broken  at  once 
or  this  country  is  lost.'  On  reaching  the  settlements,  Dr. 
Whitman  found  that  many  of  the  now  old  Oregonians,  Waldo, 
Applegate,  Hamtree,  Keyser  and  others,  who  had  once  made 
calculations  to  come  to  Oregon,  had  abandoned  the  idea,  be- 
cause of  the  representations  from  Washington  that  every  at- 
tempt to  take  wagons  and  ox  teams  through  the  Rocky  and 
Blue  Mountains  to  the  Columbia  had  failed.  Dr.  Whitman 
saw  at  once  what  the  stopping  of  wagons  at  Fort  Hall  every 
year  meant.  The  representations  purported  to  come  from  Sec- 
retary Webster,  but  really  from  Governor  Simpson,  who,  mag- 
nifying the  statements  of  his  chief  trader,  Grant,  at  Fort  Hall, 
declared  the  Americans  must  be  going  mad  from  their  repeated 
fruitless  attempts  to  take  wagons  and  teams  through  the  im- 
passable regions  of  the  Columbia,  and  that  the  women  and 


The  Whitman  Controversy  235 

children  of  those  wild  fanatics  had  been  saved  from  a  terrible 
death  only  by  the  repeated  and  philanthropic  labors  of  Mr. 
Grant  at  Fort  Hall,  in  furnishing  them  with  horses.  The 
Doctor  told  these  men  as  he  met  them  that  his  only  object  in 
crossing  the  mountains  in  the  dead  of  winter,  at  the  risk  of 
his  life,  through  untold  sufferings,  was  to  take  back  an  Ameri- 
can immigration  that  summer  through  the  mountains  to  the 
Columbia  with  their  wagons  and  teams.  The  route  was  prac- 
ticable. We  had  taken  our  cattle  and  our  families  through 
seven  years  before.  They  had  nothing  to  fear  but  to  be  ready 
on  his  return.  The  stopping  of  wagons  at  Fort  Hall  was  a 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  scheme  to  prevent  the  settling  of  the 
country  by  Americans  till  they  could  settle  it  with  their  own 
subjects  from  the  Selkirk  settlement.  This  news  spread  like 
wildfire  through  Missouri,  as  will  be  seen  from  Zachary's  state- 
ment. The  Doctor  pushed  on  to  Washington,  and  immediate- 
ly sought  an  interview  with  Secretary  Webster — both  being 
from  the  same  state — and  stated  to  him  the  object  of  his  cross- 
ing the  mountains,  and  laid  before  him  the  great  importance 
of  Oregon  to  the  United  States.  But  Mr.  Webster  lay  too  near 
Cape  Cod  to  see  things  in  the  same  light  with  his  fellow  states- 
man, who  had  transferred  his  worldly  interests  to  the  Pacific 
Coast.  He  awarded  sincerity  to  the  missionary,  but  could  not 
admit  for  a  moment  that  the  short  residence  of  six  years  could 
give  the  Doctor  the  knowledge  of  the  country  possessed  by  Gov- 
ernor Simpson,  who  had  almost  grown  up  in  the  country,  and 
had  traveled  every  part  of  it,  and  represents  it  as  one  unbroken 
waste  of  sand  deserts  and  impassable  mountains,  fit  only  for 
the  beaver,  the  gray  bear  and  the  savage.  Besides,  he  had 
about  traded  it  off  with  Governor  Simpson  to  go  into  the  Ash- 
burton  treaty  ( !)  for  a  cod  fishery  in  Newfoundland." 

Mr.  Gray  states  that  this  visit  was  in  September,  1842; 
that  the  express  came  from  Canada,  and  adds:  "Two  hours 
after  this  conversation  at  the  Fort,  he  dismounted  from  his 
horse  at  his  door,  at  Wai-i-lat-pu.  I  saw  in  a  moment  that 
he  was  fixed  on  some  important  object  or  errand.  He  soon 
explained  that  a  special  effort  must  be  made  to  save  the  coun- 
try from  becoming  British  territory.     ...     In  twenty-four 


236  Marcus  Whitman 

hours  time,  they  (Dr.  Whitman  and  A.  L.  Lovejoy)  were  well 
mounted  and  on  their  way  to  the  States."  * 

There  are  plainly  six  mistakes  in  these  statements.  (1) 
That  the  taunts  and  boasts  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  were  the 
prime  cause  of  the  Doctor's  going  East.  This  could  not  have 
been  true,  because,  as  already  stated  in  chapter  seven,  his  going 
had  been  approved  by  vote  at  the  meeting  of  the  mission, 
September  28. 

Mistake  (2).  That  these  boasts  were  made  because  it 
was  there  announced  that  the  Red  River  immigration  had  just 
crossed  the  mountains.  This  could  not  have  been  true,  because 
that  immigration  came  in  1841  not  in  1812.  There  never  was 
but  one  such  immigration.  Among  the  immigrants  were  John 
Flett,  Charles  McKay,  and  Henry  Buxton,  all  of  whom  wrote 
to  the  author  in  1881,  stating  that  they  came  in  1841.2  Mr. 
Spalding's  journal  of  September  10,  1841,  in  giving  an  ac- 
count of  a  journey  of  himself  and  family  to  Fort  Colville,  says: 
"Arrived  at  Colville.  Mr.  McDonald's  brother  is  here  from 
a  party  of  twenty-three  families  from  the  Red  River,  crossing 
the  mountains  to  settle  on  the  Cowlitz,  as  half  servants  of  the 
company.  They  started  with  oxen  and  carts.  The  carts  are 
left  and  they  are  packing  their  oxen.  There  are  in  all  eighty 
persons  [probably  counting  children].  The  man  returns  to- 
morrow with  provisions."  3 

In  a  letter  of  Dr.  Whitman's,  also,  to  the  American  Board, 
dated  November  18,  1841,  he  speaks  of  the  same  persons  being 
at  Fort  Walla  Walla  near  that  time.4 

Mistake  (3).  The  express  did  not  then  come  from  Canada, 
as  the  Canadian  express  came  later.  Mrs.  Whitman  remained 
at  their  station  a  few  days  after  the  Doctor  left,  then  went  to 
Fort  Walla  Walla,  and  then  to  Vancouver,  October  22nd,  with 
the  express  which  had  just  then  come  from  Canada.  Hon. 
Archibald  McKinley,  then  in  charge  of  Fort  Walla  Walla,  and 
Dr.  Whitman's  friend,  though  English  at  heart,  denies  any 
truth  in  the  whole  storv,  and  his  statements  are  entitled  to  con- 

1  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  288. 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  pp.  17,  18. 

3Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  18. 

4  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1891,  p.  158. 


The  Whitman  Controversy  237 

sideration.  He  says:  "No  taunt,  no  toast,  no  York  Factory 
Express,  no  New  Caledonia  boats,  no  factors,  no  traders,  no 
clerks,  no  bishops,  no  priests,  no  political  discussion,  no  fishery 
negotiation,  ever  heard  of  at  Walla  Walla  October  2,  1842." 
While  the  writer  does  not  intend  to  question  Mr.  McKinley's 
Truthfulness,  yet,  as  he  says  that  he  did  not  hear  of  that  story 
until  some  time  after  it  was  published,  more  than  twenty  or 
perhaps  thirty  years  later,  it  is  possible  that  he  may  have  for- 
gotten some  incident  which  was  the  foundation  of  the  story. 
Something  did,  probably,  occur  at  the  Fort  as  the  foundation 
for  such  a  story. 

Dr.  C.  Eells  refers  to  it  in  his  evidence  in  chapter  seven, 
saying  "it  is  possible  that  transpirings  at  old  Fort  Walla 
Walla  hastened  his  departure  two  days,"  because  Dr.  Whit- 
man had  left  on  the  third  of  October  and  not  on  the  fifth,  as 
had  been  the  plan  when  Messrs.  WTalker  and  Eells  left  the 
Doctor's  station  for  their  home. 

P.  B.  Whitman  says:  "Mr.  McKinley  told  me  that  Dr. 
Whitman  made  the  great  ride  to  rob  his  people  of  a  vast  ter- 
ritory, and  that  the  Doctor  openly  declared  his  purpose  before 
he  made  the  journey,  and  also  that  his  exceeding  zeal  caused 
his  untimely  end."  * 

In  order  to  settle  this  point  as  far  as  possible,  the  author 
wrote  Dr.  Geiger,  and  received  the  following  reply,  under  date 
of  October  17,  1881 :  "Your  letter  just  received  asking  about 
the  taunt  to  Dr.  Whitman.  T  think  there  is  a  misconception 
in  the  matter.  Dr.  Whitman  had  got  information  of  Mr. 
Lovejoy  and  others  of  the  immigration  of  1842,  that  the  United 
States  was  about  to  exchange  this  country  for  the  Newfound- 
land banks  fisheries,  or  a  share  in  them,  through  the  represen- 
tations of  the  Hudson's  Ray  Company,  that  the  whole  country 
was  a  barren  waste.  But  the  Doctor,  knowing  the  value  of  this 
country  (Pacific  Coast),  went  to  Fort  Walla  Walla  to  find  out 
about  it  (the  proposed  trade),  and  was  informed  that  that 
was  the  expectation.  (As  witness  the  Red  River  emigration). 
He,  Dr.  Whitman,  determined  to  check  the  transaction,  if  pos- 
sible. .  .  .  T  think  the  special  year  of  this  emigration  had 
nothing  more  to  do  with  the  matter  than  here  represented.      T 


i  << 


Oregonian,"  December  4,  1895. 


238  Marcus  Whitman 

can  not  call  to  mind  any  other  features  of  the  transaction  from 
any  or  all  of  my  conversations  or  writings  with  Dr.  Whitman. 
But  this  condition  I  had  so  burned  into  my  memory  that  I 
cannot  forget  it."  1 

P.  B.  Whitman  gives  another  explanation — that  another 
immigration  was  to  come  the  next  year  and  settle  in  the  Yak- 
ima Valley.2 

Dr.  William  Barrows  states  that  Sir  George  Simpson,  Gov- 
ernor-General of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  had  planned 
for  one  in  1842,  larger  than  the  one  of  1841." 

Mistake  (4).  That  Mr.  Webster  stated  to  Dr.  Whitman 
that  he  had  about  traded  off  Oregon  for  the  Newfoundland  cod 
fisheries  to  go  into  the  Ashburton  treaty.  This  could  not  have 
been,  as  that  treaty  had  been  signed  in  August,  1842. 

Mistake  (5).  That  Messrs.  Applegate,  and  others  who  had 
once  intended  to  come  to  Oregon,  had  given  up  the  idea  be- 
cause of  the  representations  made  in  the  East  by  the  agents 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  but  that  through  Dr.  Whit- 
man's statements  they  were  induced  to  come.  Mr.  Applegate 
denies  this,  and  says  he  never  saw  Dr.  Whitman  till  he  over- 
took the  immigrants  on  the  Platte. 

Mistake  (6).  That  the  Doctor  originated  the  immigration 
of  1843.  From  statements  made  in  the  last  chapter  it  is  plain 
that  he  did  not  originate,  although  he  did  much  to  promote, 
increase,  and  help  it  to  reach  Oregon  safely.4 

1  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  18. 

2  Eells'  "Whitman  Pamphlet,"  p.  18. 

3  Barrows'  "Oregon,"  p.  155. 

4  Some  allowance  ought  to  be  made  for  Mr.  Spalding,  although 
he  made  these  statements.  At  the  time  of  the  Whitman  massacre  he 
was  on  his  way  from  the  Umatilla  to  Dr.  Whitman's  station.  On  the 
road  he  met  a  Catholic  priest  who  told  him  of  Dr.  Whitman's  death, 
and  that  the  intention  of  the  Indians  was  to  kill  him  and  his  family. 
He  turned  and  fled,  and  by  a  round-about  way  reached  his  home, 
after  a  week's  travel,  most  of  the  way  on  foot,  and  barefoot,  followed 
a  part  of  the  way  by  an  Indian  who  tried  to  find  him  and  kill  him, 
traveling  by  night,  with  almost  no  food  except  roots  and  berries  that 
he  obtained  on  the  way,  haunted  with  the  fear  of  the  death  of  his 
family,  knowing  that  his  oldest  daughter  was  at  Dr.  Whitman's,  a 
captive,  or  murdered.  During  this  time  his  sufferings  were  such  that 
they  would  have  killed  many  men,  and  it  is  not  strange  that  his  mind 
was  somewhat  unbalanced  afterwards  on  some  subjects. 


The  Whitman  Controversy  239 

It  was  but  natural,  when  such  mistakes  as  these  were  made, 
that  Dr.  Whitman's  enemies  should  challenge  such  writers  as 
Governor  E.  Evans  and  Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor,  who  had  advocated 
the  story,  to  produce  proofs  of  their  statements.  When  they 
found  that  they  could  not  prove  all  of  their  statements,  they 
then  went  completely  to  the  other  extreme,  and  asserted  that 
Dr.  Whitman  had  no  intention  of  saving  Oregon  when  he 
started,  but  went  on  missionary  business ;  that  there  was  no 
proof  that  he  went  to  Washington ;  that  if  he  went  there,  he 
accomplished  nothing,  and  that  he  did  nothing  to  promote  the 
immigration  of  1843. 

These  objections  have  all  been  thoroughly  discussed  in 
chapter  seven.  They  have  constituted  what  has  been  called 
the  "Whitman  Controversy."  *  Owing  to  special  causes  this 
controversy  has  had  its  periods  of  activity  and  rest. 

(a)  It  was  not  until  about  1880  that  these  writers  began 
to  make  their  changed  views  public,  although  it  was  known 
that  they  had  changed  their  views  previous  to  this  time.  Mrs. 
Victor  did  so  in  the  Califomian  in  1880,  in  reply  to  an  article 
published  a  short  time  previous  in  the  same  magazine  and  writ- 
ten by  Hon.  S.  A.  Clarke.  Mr.  Gray  answered  her  in  the  As- 
toria n,  and  there  was  considerable  correspondence  between 
them.  Mr.  Gray  afterwards  gathered  his  articles  into  a 
pamphlet  of  nineteen  pages. 

Gov.  Evans  made  his  change  of  views  public  in  Seattle,  in 
an  address  in  1878.  This  was,  however,  not  published  until 
1880,  when  it  came  out  in  the  North  Pacific  Coast.  In  1881  he 
wrote  a   long   article   for  the   Seattle  Post-Intelligencer,    in 

1  It  has  been  stated  that  because  these  mistakes  were  made  the 
whole  case  was  destroyed;  but  the  writer  has  never  been  able  to 
accept  this.  If  some  statements  are  mistaken,  it  does  not  prove  that 
all  are  mistaken.  For  instance,  several  years  ago  a  murder  was  com- 
mitted at  Port  Townsend,  in  the  State  of  Washington,  amidst  a  crowd 
of  people.  When  the  case  was  tried  in  court,  some  of  the  witnesses 
testified  that  the  murder  occurred  before  a  certain  event  took  place 
which  all  saw,  and  some  testified  that  it  was  after  that  event.  There 
was  a  mistake  by  some  of  the  witnesses,  but  that  did  not  prove  that 
there  was  no  murder.  So  now  the  fact  that  some  of  the  witnesses 
have  made  mistakes  does  not  prove  this  story  to  be  a  myth. 

2  Published  April  :50,  1881. 


240  Marcus  Whitman 

which  he  took  a  more  extreme  position  than  he  had  previously 
done.  The  author,  in  collecting  materials  for  a  work  on  In- 
dian Missions,  had  gathered  some  information  on  this  subject, 
and  by  the  advice  of  friends  replied  to  Gov.  Evans.1.  As  he 
continually  gained  more  evidence  on  the  subject  from  his  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  some  of  those  old  pioneers  who  had 
known  Dr.  Whitman,  he  embodied  it  in  1883  in  a  pamphlet  of 
thirty-four  pages,  entitled  "Marcus  Whitman,  M.  D.  Proofs 
of  His  Work  in  Saving  Oregon  to  the  United  States,  and  in 
Promoting  the  Immigration  of  18JfS."  In  this  was  embodied 
testimony,  most  of  which  has  been  quoted  in  the  three  previous 
chapters. 

(b)  In  1884  Dr.  William  Barrows  published  his  work  on 
"Oregon,  the  Struggle  for  Possession."  Following  Messrs. 
Spalding  and  Gray,  he  incorporated  in  it  their  story  of  what 
occurred  at  Fort  Walla  Walla.  This  opened  the  way  for  again 
beginning  the  controversy,  and  it  was  carried  on,  mainly  in  the 
Oregonian  of  Portland,  Oregon,  in  nine  long  articles,  Mrs.  Vic- 
tor writing  one,  and  Governor  Evans,  two,  denying  the  claims 
made  for  Dr.  Whitman ;  while  in  reply  Hon.  E.  C.  Ross  wrote 
two,  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray  one,  and  Rev.  M.  Eells  three.2  Dr. 
Thomas  Laurie,  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  also  wrote  two 
articles  in  Dr.  Whitman's  defense,  which  were  published  in  the 
Missionary  Herald  of  Boston.3  The  article  by  Mr.  Gray,  the 
two  by  Mr.  Ross,  and  the  first  two  by  Mr.  Eells,  were  after- 
wards published  in  a  pamphlet  of  sixty-eight  pages,  and  those 
of  Dr.  Laurie  in  another  pamphlet. 

(c)  In  1895  Dr.  O.  W.  Nixon's  book,  How  Marcus  Whit- 
man Saved  Oregon,  was  published,  and  another  period  of  con- 
troversy followed.  Hon.  H.  W.  Scott,  editor  of  the  Oregonian, 
Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor,  and  Rev.  H.  H.  Hines,  D.  D.,  denying  the 
claims  made  by  Dr.  Nixon,  and  Dr.  Nixon,  Hon.  S.  A.  Clarke, 

1  Published  in  the  "Seattle  Post-Intelligencer,"  May  28,  1881. 

'"Oregonian"   of  Nov.   7,   Dec.   9,   Dec.   26,   1S84;    Jan.   11,   Jan.   20, 
Feb.  8,  Feb.  15,  March  12,  20,  May  21,  18S5. 

3  Feb.  and  Sept.,  1895. 


The  Whitman  Controversy  241 

0.  H.  Hines,  Rev.  M.  Eells,  and  P.  B.  Whitman  replying  to 
these  attacks.1 

(d)  On  November  29th  and  30th,  1897,  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  Whitman  massacre  was  celebrated  at  Walla 
Walla  by  the  dedication  of  the  Whitman  monument.  Rev.  Dr. 
L.  H.  Hallock  and  Rev.  Dr.  J.  R.  Wilson  delivered  the  principal 
addresses.2  Professor  E.  S.  Meany  and  G.  H.  Hines  had  pre- 
viously written  articles  for  the  Seattle  Post-Intelligencer  and 
the  Portland  Oregonian,  preparatory  to  the  dedication.  All  of 
these  claimed  great  national  benefits  to  have  resulted  from 
Dr.  Whitman's  work.  The  addresses  were  widely  published  in 
the  Walla  Walla  Union,  Oregonian,  Post-Intelligencer,  of  ap- 
proximate dates,  and  the  Whitman  College  Quarterly.  Rev. 
M.  Flohr  denied  these  claims,  and  again  Rev.  M.  Eells  came  to 
the  defense.3 

(e)  In  December,  1900,  the  controversy  was  again  opened 
by  Professor  E.  G.  Bourne,  who  read  a  paper  before  the  Ameri- 
can Historical  Society  at  its  annual  meeting  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  in  which  he  called  the  whole  story  of  Dr.  Whitman 
either  doing  anything  or  attempting  to  do  anything  to  save 
Oregon  to  the  United  States  a  legend;  also  denying  that  he 
had  been  of  any  great  benefit  to  the  immigration  of  1813." 
This  called  forth  a  very  large  number  of  replies,  both  East  and 
West.  Among  these  writers  were  Dr.  O.  W.  Nixon,  Dr.  W.  A. 
Mowry,  President  S.  B.  L.  Penrose,  Professor  W.  D.  Lyman, 
Hon.  J.  W.  Fairbanks,  and  Rev.  M.  Eells.5 

'"Oregonian"  of  May  24,  June  1,  Nov.  21,  Nov.  25,  26,  and  Dec.  4, 
1895;  "San  Francisco  Call"  Sept.  5  and  8,  1895;  "Pacific  Christian 
Advocate,"  of  Portland,  Oregon,  Oct.  23;  "Walla  Walla  Gazette," 
Wash.,  June  1,  1S95;  "Post-Intelligencer,"  Seattle,  Wash.,  July  7, 
1895,  and  "Pacific  Advance,"  Seattle,  of  December. 

2  See  chapter  14. 

'"Seattle  Post-Intelligencer,"  Nov.  21,  Dec.  7,  1897;  Feb.  6,  1898; 
"Oregonian,"  Nov.  26,  1897;  "Whitman  College  Quarterly,"  Dec, 
1897,  and  March,  1898. 

4  "American   Historical  Review,"  Jan.,   1901. 

'"Chicago  Inter-Ocean,"  Dec.  30,  1900;  Jan.  9,  11,  15,  21,  26;  Feb. 
9,  1901;  "Boston  Journal  of  Education,"  Jan.  24,  1901;  "Walla  Walla 
Union,"  Jan.  20,  1901;  "Walla  Walla  Statesman,"  Jan.  28,  1901; 
"Fitchburg   (.Mass.)   Sentinel,"  Feb.   12,  1901. 


242  Marcus  Whitman 

Very  many  other  articles  have  appeared  in  various  papers 
east  and  west  at  various  times,  especially  in  the  Boston  Con- 
gregationalist,  Chicago  Advance,  and  Chicago  Inter-Ocean,  in 
the  latter  of  which  Dr.  Nixon  for  very  many  years  annually 
published  an  editorial  highly  commendatory  of  Dr.  Whitman 
on  the  anniversary  erf  his  death,  November  29.  Dr.  Nixon 
had  come  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in  1850,  was  the  hero  of  H.  But- 
terworth's  book,  the  Log  Schoolhonse  on  the  Columbia,  and 
from  what  he  heard  at  that  early  day  was  always  an  ardent 
admirer  of  Dr.  Whitman's  work. 

To  the  author  it  has  seemed  very  singular  that  those  who 
opposed  the  claims  made  for  Dr.  Whitman  have  made  exceed- 
ingly many  mistakes,  far  more  than  Mr.  Spalding  did,  and  with 
apparently  less  excuse;  some  of  them  to  all  appearances 
knowingly.     The  following  are  some  of  these  mistakes : 

Mrs.  Victor  says,1  "He  (Dr.  Whitman)  had  been  six  years 
in  the  Cayuse  country  without  having  benefited  or  conciliated 
the  Indians."  The  immigration  of  1843  spoke  very  highly  of 
Istikus,  a  Christian  Cayuse  chief,  who  piloted  them  through 
the  Blue  Mountains,  who  in  the  war  of  1855-6  furnished  our 
troops  with  scouts  and  provisions  when  most  needed,  and  who 
rang  his  bell  and  called  his  band  together  for  church  as  long 
as  he  lived.  The  result  of  the  seed  sown  by  the  Doctor  is  now 
seen  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  the  Umatilla  Reservation.2 
L.  W.  Hastings,  in  1842,  said:  "He  appears  to  be  rendering 
great  service  in  christianizing  and  civilizing  the  natives." 3 
Again  Mrs.  Victor  says:  "Admiting  that  he  (Dr.  Whitman) 
feared  the  treaty  of  boundary  would  draw  the  line  in  British 
territory,  could  he  hope  to  reach  Washington  before  it  was 
concluded?"4  Every  good  scholar  knows  that  if  the  Colum- 
bia River  had  been  the  line,  it  would  not  have  left  Dr.  Whit- 
man's station  in  British  territory,  but  in  the  United  States; 
and  Mrs.  Victor  had  visited  his  station  previous  to  the  time 

1  "Oregonian,"  Nov.  7,  1884. 

2  Eells'  "History  of  Indian  Missions.,"  64,  237.  "Report  of  Con- 
gregational Association  of  Oregon  and  Washington,"  1882,  p.  18,  and 
"Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  p.  48. 

3  Hastings'  "Oregon  and  California,"  p.  21. 

4  "Oregonian,"  Nov.  7,  1884. 


The   Whitman  Controversy  243 

she  wrote  the  above.  Again  she  says  that  in  going  East  the 
Doctor  had  a  "secret  motive''  known  to  Mr.  Eells,  but  not 
mentioned  at  the  meeting  of  September,  1842.  Dr.  Eells  had 
said  that  Dr.  Whitman  had  a  "cherished  object,"  not  a  "secret 
motive." 

She  also  charged  Dr.  Whitman  with  being  "either  ignorant 
and  conceited  or  a  falsifier,"  that  he  deceived  his  fellow  mis- 
sionaries and  Hon.  A.  McKinley  as  to  reasons  for  going  East, 
and  went  in  order  to  obtain  an  office  and  enrich  himself  at  the 
expense  of  his  missionary  character;  and  that  because  Gov- 
ernor George  Simpson  was  at  Vancouver,  November  30,  1841 
[reaching  London,  Oct.  29,  1842],  he  could  not  have  been  in 
Washington  by  February  or  March,  1843 ! l 

Gov.  Evans  said  that  from  1831  to  October  18,  1842,  there 
were  no  negotiations  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States,2  while  Webster  says  that  Lord  Ashburton,  with  whom 
he  made  the  treaty  of  August,  1842,  had  power  to  settle  all 
questions  between  the  two  countries,  and  that  they  considered 
the  Oregon  question,  but  could  not  come  to  an  agreement,  and 
so  omitted  it.3 

The  Governor  added  that  Webster  never  at  any  time  partici- 
pated in  negotiations  on  any  branch  of  the  Oregon  question, 
and  that  Lord  Ashburton  had  neither  official  power  nor  per- 
sonal discretion  on  the  Oregon  question,  while  AVebster  said 
that  both  had  power  in  regard  to  this  question,  and  did  consult 
about  it. 

Governor  Evans  said  that  no  one  of  the  immigration  of 
1842  had  heard  of  Lord  Ashburton's  appointment  or  arrival 
in  the  United  States  before  leaving  for  Oregon,  and  so  could 
not  have  given  Dr.  Whitman  any  information  about  him.4  As 
Edward  Everett,  our  minister  at  London,  had  notified  our  gov- 
ernment, September,  1841,  that  Lord  Ashburton  would  be  sent, 
and  he  had  arrived  at  Washington  April  4,  1842,  forty-two 
days  before  the  emigration  of  1842   left   Independence,   Mis- 

1  "Oregonian,"  Nov.  7,  1884. 

2  "Oregonian,"  March  20,  1885. 


3  ll 

i  a 


Webster's  Works,"  vol.  G,  p.  351. 
Oregonian,''  xMarch  20,  1885. 


244  Marcus  Whitman 

souri,  on  May  16,  1842,1  there  was  time  enough  for  them  to 
have  learned  of  his  arrival. 

Again  Gov.  Evans  quoted  the  author  as  indicating  in  regard 
to  Dr.  Whitman's  work  for  the  country  that  it  "was  not  known 
or  realized  till  1866," 2  while  the  author  had  only  said,  "The 
A.  B.  0.  F.  M.  did  not  fully  realize  or  perhaps  fully  know  of 
this  great  effort  until  1866." 

Gov.  Evans,  too,  tried  hard  to  prove  that  no  meeting  of 
the  Oregon  mission  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1842  to  approve  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  going  East,  while  the  Missionary  Herald,  as  he 
admitted,  says  there  was  such  a  meeting;  he  said  that  Mr. 
Gray  was  not  present,  but  was  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  while 
Messrs.  Eells  and  Gray  both  said  that  he  was  present,  and  Mrs. 
Whitman's  letters  proved  that  he  did  not  move  away  until 
October,  1842,  though  he  had  himself  been  to  the  Willamette 
during  the  previous  summer  to  make  preparations  for  moving.8 

Because  Governor  A.  Ramsey  said  that  he  saw  Dr.  Whitman 
in  Washington  in  1843,  both  Mrs.  Victor  and  Gov.  Evans  tried 
to  disprove  it,  the  former  by  saying  it  must  have  been  Dr. 
White,  the  names  being  similar  and  the  difference  in  dates  but 
one  year;4  while  Gov.  Evans  thought  he  saw  Rev.  Jason  Lee, 
as  contemporary  evidence  establishes  the  fact  that  he  was  there 
during  the  winter  of  1843-4.  Contemporary  evidence  estab- 
lished the  fact  that  Mr.  Lee  was  not  in  Washington  at  that 
date,  but  was  in  Oregon  and  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  He  left 
the  Sandwich  Islands  for  the  East  the  28th  of  February,  1844, 
to  go  by  schooner  across  the  Pacific,  and  then  through  Mexico, 
and  was  in  Washington  in  June,  1844. 

Gov.  Evans  also  said  that  according  to  Dr.  Gushing  Eells 
the  records  of  the  mission  meeting  of  September,  1842,  were  de- 
stroyed in  the  fire  which  consumed  his  house  in  1872,  and  he 
blamed  him  for  not  consulting  these  records  before  that  time.5 
Dr.  Eells  had  not  said  this,  but  had  published  that  those  rec- 

1  Hastings'  "Oregon  and  California,"  p.  6,  and  "Journal  of  Medorem 
Crawford,"  p.  7. 

2"Oregonian,"  March  20,  1885. 

3  "Oregonian,"  Dec.  26,  1884. 

4"Oregonian,"  Nov.  7,  1884. 

5  Hines'  "History  of  Oregon,"  chapter  10. 


The  Whitman  Controversy  245 

ords  were  in  Dr.  Whitman's  keeping  and  disappeared  when 
he  was  killed  in  1S17.1 

Another  class  of  the  Governor's  arguments,  gleaned  from 
his  article,  are  the  following,  "false  claim,"  ''falsehood,"  "peti- 
fogging,"  "unmitigated  falsehood,"  "glaringly  false  statement," 
"venerable  gentlemen  .  .  .  who  have  for  the  once  doffed 
their  saintly  calling,"  "so-called  reverends,"  "doughty  cham- 
pions," "melange  of  absurdity,  nonsense,  fiction,  and  false- 
hood," "reverend  champions  of  fable,"  "baseless  fabrications," 
"extravaganza,"  "wriggling  policy  of  the  Eells,"  "slanders  of 
the  dead,"  "Gulliver,  Munchausen  and  Quixote."  2 

Dr.  H.  H.  Hines,  too,  in  order  to  depreciate  Dr.  Whitman's 
influence,  especially  in  bringing  his  wagon  to  Fort  Boise  in 
1S36,  stated  that  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  in  1829 
was  the  first  to  bring  a  wagon  across  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  also  that  Captain  Bonneville  had  brought  twenty  loaded 
wagons  a  hundred  miles  west  of  the  summit  in  1832.  In  order 
to  prove  the  first  statement,  he  quoted  from  President  Jack- 
son's message  of  1831,  which  said  that  they  brought  ten  wagons 
to  the  head  of  Wind  River  where  it  issues  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains.3  As  the  waters  of  Wind  River  flow  into  the  Mis- 
souri, this  "proof"  has  no  foundation.  Still  the  friends  of  Dr. 
Whitman  have  steadily  acknowledged  that  wagons  had  been 
brought  into  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Captain  Bonneville  did  so,  taking  them  fifty-five  miles  west 
of  the  summit  to  Green  River,  a  branch  of  the  Colorado,  not 
of  the  Columbia.  There  they  stopped.  Why?  Because  of 
jaded  teams? — for  their  teams,  he  says,  were  jaded.  This  was 
not  the  reason,  says  Bonneville,  but  because  the  nature  of  the 
country  through  which  he  was  about  to  travel  rendered  it  im- 
possible to  proceed  with  wagons.  His  trouble  was  to  take 
them  farther.  Bonneville  did  not,  but  Dr.  Whitman  did  take 
his  in  1836  to  Fort  Boise. 

Dr.  Hines  seems  to  have  swung  almost  around  the  circle. 
In  The  Ladies'  Repository  for  September,  18(58,  he  published  an 
article,  in  which  he  claimed  that  Dr.  Whitman  accomplished 

1  Eells'  "Whitman   Pamphlet,"  p.  10. 

2"Oregonian,"  March  20,  1885. 

'"Pacific  Christian  Advocate,"  October  23,  1895. 


246  Marcus  Whitman 

all  that  his  most  ardent  admirer  ever  claimed,  even  to  the 
boasts  and  taunts  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  and  his  influence  over 
Webster  and  the  statement  about  the  Ashburton  treaty.  By 
1895  and  1897  he  was  disposed  to  deny  that  the  Doctor  went 
East  with  any  political  intent,  or  accomplished  anything 
while  there,  or  appreciably  influenced  any  emigrants  to  come 
that  year,  or  even  did  much  to  help  the  immigration  across 
the  plains.  In  1899  he  praised  Dr.  Whitman  very  highly, 
both  as  a  missionary  and  patriot,  and  as  a  patriotic  worker 
for  Oregon  in  Washington  and  after  he  had  returned  to  his 
station ;  only  he  praised  Rev.  Jason  Lee  as  having  done  more 
in  this  line,  and  as  having  in  quite  a  measure  inspired  Dr. 
Whitman  to  do  what  he  did;1  while  in  1901  he  spoke  of  him 
as  "a  man  of  singular  intensity  of  purpose,  determination  in 
action,  and  with  the  most  patriotic  devotion  to  the  interests  of 
his  country."  3 

Father  Flohr  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  government  at 
Washington  was  better  posted  on  the  value  of  Oregon  than 
Whitman  himself,  and  that  the  advocates  of  the  myth  "have 
the  gall  to  tell  us  that  the  government  at  Washington  was  wait- 
ing for  Whitman  to  come  to  Washington  to  enlighten  them  on 
the  Oregon  question"  (although  they  had  never  said  it).  He 
called  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "A  New  Chapter  From  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles/'  by  President  S.  B.  L.  Penrose  of  Whitman  Col- 
lege, thus  entitled  "by  way  of  blasphemy."3 

Prof.  Bourne,  too,  in  support  of  his  statement  that  Dr. 
Whitman's  visit  neither  dispelled  ignorance  nor  inspired  en- 
thusiasm about  Oregon,  brought  as  proof  the  statement  that 
"Greenhow's  exhaustive  history  was  being  distributed  as  a 
public  document"  (in  March,  1843),  when  he  himself  had  said 
three  pages  previous  that  "its  preface  was  written  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1844,"  and  the  book  was  not  published  until  1845.  He 
gave  as  another  reason  that  at  the  same  time  "Fremont  was 
under  commission  to  explore  the  Rockies,"  when  Fremont  did 
not  start  with  his  expedition  until  May  29th  of  that  year, 

'"Missionary  History  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,"  chapter  17. 

'"Oregonian,"  April  7,  1901. 

3  "Post-Intelligencer,"  Dec.  8,  1897. 


The   Whitman  Controversy  247 

and  did  not  make  his  report  until  1S45.  He  also  said  that 
Dr.  E.  White  was  then  writing  frequent  reports  to  his  su- 
periors at  Washington  as  Sub-Indian  Agent  in  Oregon,  when 
not  one  such  report  had  even  left  Oregon  by  April  1,  1843.1 

It  is  very  noticeable  how  much  evidence  has  come  to  light, 
since  the  controversy  first  began,  in  favor  of  the  claims  made 
for  Dr.  Whitman.  In  May,  1881,  the  author  published  his 
first  article  on  the  subject  in  reply  to  Gov.  Evans.  In  June, 
1881,  he  learned  of  Dr.  Geiger's  knowledge  on  the  subject;  in 
June,  1882,  he  found  new  statements  made  by  Hon.  A.  Hin- 
man  and  Mrs.  M.  R.  Walker.  The  next  year  he  obtained  Dr. 
Parker's  and  Governor  Ramsey's  statements.  Late  in  1885, 
after  the  first  period  of  controversy  had  passed,  as  published 
in  the  Oregon  ion,  the  letters  of  Dr.  Whitman  to  the  American 
Board  appeared,  stating  why  he  went  to  Washington  and  what 
in  his  opinion  he  had  accomplished;  also  the  statement  of 
Judge  Otis  and  his  interview  with  Dr.  Whitman  at  Buffalo. 
In  1891  the  letter  of  Dr.  Whitman  to  the  Secretary  of  War  was 
found  at  Washington,  stating  that  he  had  been  to  Washington, 
together  with  his  proposed  bill.  In  1S98  the  statements  of  Dr. 
Silas  Reed  and  John  Tyler,  Jr.,  appeared. 

Since  the  author  made  his  first  full  statement  in  his  pamph- 
let about  Dr.  Whitman,  and  drew  his  conclusions  from  the 
evidence  there  printed,  he  has  seen  no  reason  to  make  any  es- 
sential change  in  his  position  from  the  evidence  furnished, 
namely,  that  on  account  of  Dr.  Whitman's  visit  to  Washington 
a  part  or  the  whole  of  Oregon  was  saved  to  the  United  States, 
and  that  he  did  much  to  promote  the  immigration  of  1843, 
and  led  it  through  with  the  wagons,  to  the  Columbia  River. 
Still,  the  author  has  never  claimed  that  Dr.  Whitman  alone 
saved  thus  much  of  the  country,  for  he  has  time  and  again 
given  the  Methodist  mission  full  credit  for  sending  the  first 
missionaries  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in  1834,  for  sending  earnest 
petitions  to  Washington  in  the  thirties  and  forties,  for  doing 
very  much  to  organize  the  Provisional  Government  of  Oregon 

^'American  Historical  Review,"  January,  1901,  p.  289.  "Fremont's 
Exploring  Expedition,"  pp.  123,  125,  and  White's  "Thrilling  Adven- 
tures," pp.  171,  172. 


248  Marcus  Whitman 

(claiming  that  without  the  help  of  the  Methodist  mission  it 
would  not  have  been  organized),  for  furnishing  the  first  United 
States  officer  for  Oregon,  Dr.  E.  White,  and  for  furnishing  the 
first  Governor  of  Oregon,  George  Abernethy. 


CHAPTER  X. 


DIFFICULTIES  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 


Much  has  been  said  about  the  troubles  which  existed  at 
different  times  between  Dr.  Whitman  and  the  Indians.  It  has 
been  thought  best  to  speak  of  these  difficulties  in  a  separate 
chapter,  so  that  it  can  easily  be  seen  what  they  were. 

(a)  The  first  trouble  on  record  was  in  1837,  and  was  about 
the  Doctor  administering  medicine  to  the  sick.  It  has  always 
been  a  custom  with  the  Indians  when  severely  sick  to  call  on 
their  medicine  men  for  help.  The  help  thus  given  is  not,  how- 
ever, medicine,  but  incantations  and  jugglery.  The  Indians 
believe  that  sickness  is  caused  by  an  evil  spirit,  which  enters 
the  individual.  This  is  sent  or  shot  into  him  by  a  bad  medi- 
cine man  in  an  invisible  manner.  Sometimes  they  believe  he 
can  thus  shoot  a  bullet,  stone,  or  poison  into  the  heart  of  a 
person  and  sometimes  to  send  a  woodpecker,  squirrel,  bear,  or 
any  treacherous  animal  to  his  heart,  to  eat  it,  plague  him,  and 
make  him  sick.  Then  the  patient  or  his  friends  employ  a  good 
medicine  man  to  draw  this  out,  and  it  is  done  by  incantations, 
such  as  pounding  on  sticks,  beating  an  Indian  drum,  helloing, 
singing,  and  the  like.  If  after  the  use  of  all  his  means  the 
patient  dies,  the  relatives  have  the  right  to  kill  the  medicine 
man,  unless  he  shall  give  these  relatives  property  enough  to 
satisfy  them  for  the  death  of  their  friend.  Dr.  Whitman  en- 
countered this  trouble  during  his  first  year  among  the  Cayuses, 
as  related  in  the  chapter  on  Mission  Work.1 

It  does  not  seem,  however,  as  a  general  thing,  that  the  In- 
dians considered  the  Doctor  in  the  light  of  one  of  their  medi- 
cine men.  He  afterwards  said  so  to  Rev.  C.  Eells,  and  added 
that  if  they  did,  it  would  not  be  safe  for  him  to  remain  among 
them,  but  he  did  not  believe  that  they  did  so  consider  him. 

1  Chapter  4,  p.  98. 


-> 


50  Marcus  Whitman 


(b)  Several  years  previously,  probably  about  1834,  Rev. 
Jason  Lee,  while  on  his  way  to  the  Willamette,  had  received 
a  present  of  some  horses  from  the  Indians.  Not  knowing  the 
Indian  custom,  that  when  such  a  present  is  made  another  of 
about  equal  value  is  expected  in  return,  he  had  taken  the  horses 
but  had  not  given  them  much,  if  anything,  in  return,  as  he 
evidently  supposed  that  they  were  a  free  gift  to  help  him  in  his 
Christian  work.  But  the  Indians  did  not  forget  it.  It  is  said 
that  they  were  told  by  Mr.  J.  Toupin,  interpreter  for  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  that  Mr.  Lee  had  as  good  as  stolen  their 
horses.  After  Doctor  Whitman's  arrival — as  he  was  a  white 
man  and  a  missionary,  the  same  as  Mr.  Lee — some  of  the  In- 
dians made  considerable  trouble  with  him  on  this  subject.1 

(c)  Another  trouble  was  that  at  times  the  Indians  de- 
manded pay  for  the  wood,  water  and  land  which  the  Doctor 
used.  In  Father  Brouillet's  pamphlet  in  regard  to  the  causes 
of  the  massacre  is  a  statement  by  John  Toupin,  interpreter  at 
Fort  Walla  Walla,  who  says  that  he  interpreted  for  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Parker  in  1835,  and  that  Mr.  Parker  promised  to  send  them 
a  missionary  who  would  not  take  their  lands  for  nothing,  but 
would  give  them  ploughs  and  hoes,  and  that  a  big  ship  would 
come  every  year  with  goods  to  be  distributed  among  the  In- 
dians. How  much  of  this  is  true  is  uncertain.  There  is  no 
other  proof  of  it,  and  if  anything  was  said  on  this  subject  Mr. 
Parker  probably  had  reference  to  treaties  by  govenment  and 
annuity  goods.  Mr.  Toupin's  statements  as  given  in  that 
pamphlet  have  not  all  been  found  to  be  reliable. 

When  Dr.  Whitman  established  his  station  the  Indian 
chiefs  promised  him  the  free  use  of  the  land,  but  because  of 
the  statements  made  to  the  Indians  by  malicious  persons,  after 
a  time  the  Indians  did  demand  pay  for  their  use.  The  most 
serious  time  which  the  Doctor  had  because  of  this  was  in 
November,  1841.  In  a  letter  to  the  American  Board  the  Doctor 
gives  the  following  account  of  it:  "I-a-tin,  an  Indian,  who 
had  been  to  the  Willamette  settlement,  undertook  to  embarass 
Mr.  Gray  in  his  building  operations,  forbidding  him  to  cut 
timber  without  pay  and  others  joined  him  in  talking  of  charg- 

1  Hines'  "Oregon,"  p.  183. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  251 

ing  us  for  firewood.  There  has  often  been  talk  of  causing  us 
to  pay  for  the  land  we  occupy.  latin  said  he  was  told  while 
at  the  Willamette  that  if  any  one  came  on  the  white  man's  land, 
and  he  refused  to  go  off,  he  was  kicked  off.1 

''The  plantation  of  this  station  has  been  in  common  with 
the  Indians  upon  a  point  of  land  between  two  streams ;  as  soon 
as  our  wheat  was  off  the  Indians  put  their  horses  in,  to  the 
great  injury  of  our  garden,  corn  and  potatoes.  We  have  been 
hitherto  unable  to  make  fences  for  the  want  of  timber  and 
strength  and  time  to  do  it ;  now  we  expect  we  will  be  able  to 
do  it  in  the  spring,  as  Mr.  Gray  is  associated  with  us  at  this 
station,  by  digging  a  ditch  around  our  fields,  which  answers 
the  purpose  of  irrigation  also  (none  of  our  fields  have  any 
fences),  as  well  as  that  of  some  of  the  Indians. 

"While  Mr.  Hale,  of  Boston,  who  belongs  to  the  U.  S.  Ex- 
ploring squadron,  was  here,  Til-ka-na-ik,  another  Indian,  was 
most  insolent  because,  when  his  horses  were  eating  up  our 
corn,  I  sent  some  Indians  to  catch  them.  He  said  I  was  likely 
to  get  the  Indians  whipped,  for  if  I  sent  them  to  catch  his 
horses  he  should  beat  them,  and  added  that  he  put  his  horses 
there  lest  they  should  stray,  for  he  had  no  servant,  and  that 
was  a  shut-up  place,  and  that  if  I  had  them  put  out,  he  would 
take  one  of  our  horses  and  ride  him  to  hunt  for  his  until  he 
tired  him  out  and  then  leave  him.  I  then  told  him  that  I 
thought  our  field  was  a  plantation  and  not  for  a  horse  pen ; 
but  if  he  thought  it  good  to  eat  up  our  crops,  I  had  no  more 
to  say  about  it.  He  then  said  that  this  was  his  land  and  that 
he  grew  up  here  and  that  the  horses  were  only  eating  the 
growth  of  the  soil,  and  demanded  of  me  what  I  had  ever  given 
him  for  his  land.  I  answered  'nothing'  and  that  he  might  de- 
pend upon  it  I  never  would  pay  him  anything. 

"He  then  made  use  of  the  word  'shame'  which  is  used  in 
Chinook  the  same  as  in  English  and  its  parallel  in  Nez  Perces. 
I  requested  him  to  wait  while  I  spoke,  and  then  told  him  of 
the  original  arrangement  for  us  to  locate  here,  and  that  we  did 
not  come  of  ourselves,  but  by  invitation  from  the  Indians,  and 
that  the  land  was  fully  granted  us.     Here  I  left  him ;   but  in 

'"Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1891,  pp.   155,  162. 


252  Marcus  Whitman 

a  short  time  I  was  met  by  one  of  the  chiefs,  who  said  it  was 
troublesome  to  see  those  horses  eating  up  the  corn. 

"I  then  related  to  him  what  had  just  passed  with  Til-ka- 
na-ik,  and  told  him  I  had  no  intention  to  remove  them.  While 
we  were  talking  Til-ka-na-ik  came  along,  having  overheard  us, 
and  came  up  to  me  and  asked  me  how  many  times  I  was  going 
to  talk,  and  struck  me  twice  severely  on  my  breast,  and  com- 
manded me  to  stop  talking.  I  told  him  I  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  talking  from  my  childhood,  and  intended  to  keep  on  talk- 
ing. This  Indian,  Til-ka-na-ik,  has  for  the  year  past  been 
practicing  the  ceremonies  of  the  Papists. 

"Following  this  in  order  of  time  was  another  trial  with 
I-a-tin,  the  first  named  Indian.  His  son  had  been  employed  to 
take  care  of  our  horses  and  cattle,  but  had  been  very  unfaith- 
ful, having  left  them  for  four  weeks,  causing  us  to  pay  him  off 
before  his  engagement  had  expired.  I  asked  him  how  much 
I  was  to  pay  his  son ;  he  said  just  what  I  pleased.  I  then 
gave  him  the  full  value  of  what  was  agreed  upon  within  five 
balls  and  powder,  but  it  did  not  please  him,  and  only  caused 
him  to  raise  a  bitter  complaint  that  he  could  not  obtain  justice. 
I  then  told  him  I  would  exchange  some  of  the  articles  and  give 
the  full  value  of  our  first  bargain  in  the  things  originally  prom- 
ised, and  that  then  he  would  be  in  debt  to  me  for  the  four  weeks 
which  his  son  neglected  to  take  care  of  the  cattle,  and  for  the 
unexpired  time  yet  to  be  fulfilled  in  his  bargain.  I  told  him, 
also,  that  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  same  day,  I  was  grind- 
ing his  wheat  for  him,  I  little  thought  he  would  treat  me 
thus.  At  this  he  was  much  displeased  and  said  to  one  of 
my  family,  and  also  in  camp,  that  he  would  burn  our  mill. 
Mr.  Gray  is  living  in  our  old  house,  one  part  of  which  was  in 
use  as  a  workshop  and  kitchen.  It  was  much  used  also  as  a 
place  to  store  many  small  articles  and  tools,  so  that  no  Indians 
was  allowed  to  go  in  there.  One  morning  an  Indian  named 
Pit-am-an-in-muks-muks  went  in  and  seated  himself  by  the  fire 
along  with  a  hired  man,  the  Hawaiian,  and  an  Indian  who  was 
there  by  order  to  cook  for  Indians  who  were  laboring. 

"The  woman  made  complaint  to  Mr.  Gray,  and  he  desired 
him  to  go  out,  but  he  at  once  asked  if  he  thought  he  would 
steal.     Mr.  Gray  told  him  many  things  had  been  stolen,  and  if 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  253 

he  allowed  one,  he  must  another,  and  that  even  if  some  would 
not  steal,  yet  if  they  were  admitted,  others  would  follow  them, 
and  on  that  account  he  wanted  no  one  to  come  in  there.  Upon 
this,  he  became  insolent,  and  Mr.  Gray  put  him  out  of  the 
room.  He  then  went  at  once  to  the  horse  pen,  and  threw  his 
rope  upon  one  of  Mr.  Gray's  horses.  Mr.  Gray  followed  him 
and  cut  his  rope  off  and  put  him  out  of  the  pen.  In  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day  he  came  when  I  was  at  work  and  took 
the  same  horse  in  my  presence.  He  was  on  a  horse  with  an- 
other Indian  and  others  had  gathered  around.  I  simply  asked 
him  if  he  made  himself  a  thief  how  he  could  cleanse  himself. 
His  brother,  Sa-ki-aph,  said  it  would  be  good  to  kill  our  cat- 
tle. I  told  him  he  had  now  shown  his  heart,  and  if  he  thought 
so  he  could  kill  them.  I  then  sent  to  apprise  Mr.  Gray,  who  was 
at  work  upon  his  house.  We  soon  saw  Til-an-ka-ik,  a  relative 
of  Pitamaninmukmuk's,  with  his  young  men  coming  toward  the 
house.  I  requested  Mr.  Gray  not  to  answer  him,  but  to  allow 
me  to  do  it.  He  came  up  to  us  in  the  building  and  began  to 
address  Mr.  Gray,  who  took  no  notice  of  what  he  said,  and  he 
failed  to  create  any  excitement,  but  ordered  Mr.  Gray  to  stop 
building  and  remove  the  next  day.  I  told  him  it  was  the  Sab- 
bath and  he  could  not  go.  It  seemed  strange  to  him  to  speak 
of  reverence  for  the  Sabbath  at  such  a  time.  I  then  went  down 
from  the  building  and  he  soon  followed  me  and  began  to  com- 
plain of  my  taking  the  part  of  Mr.  Gray,  and  said  if  he  were 
to  go  to  our  country  he  should  be  very  careful  how  he  con- 
ducted himself  lest  he  should  be  sent  off.  He  said  again  that 
Mr.  Gray  was  laboring  in  vain,  for  he  must  leave.  I  told  him 
it  was  natural  for  us  to  labor,  and  we  would  not  desist  although 
we  might  labor  in  vain.  I  told  him,  also,  that  if  Indians  came 
into  Mr.  Gray's  or  my  house  and  refused  to  do  as  we  desired,  it 
was  right  for  us  to  put  them  out.  He  then  took  hold  of  my  ear 
and  pulled  it  and  struck  me  on  tbe  breast,  ordering  me  to  hear, 
as  much  as  to  say,  we  must  let  them  do  as  they  pleased  about 
our  houses.  When  he  let  go  I  turned  the  other  to  him  and  he 
pulled  that,  and  in  this  way  I  let  him  pull  first  one  and  then 
the  other  until  he  gave  over  and  took  my  hat  and  threw  it  into 
the  mud.  T  then  called  on  the  Indians  who  wore  at  work  for 
Mr.  Gray  to  give  it  to  me  and  I  put  it  on  my  head,  when  he 


254  Marcus  Whitman 

took  it  off  again  and  threw  it  in  the  same  place.  Again  the 
Indians  gave  it  to  me  and  I  put  it  on.  With  more  violence 
he  took  it  off  and  threw  it  in  the  mud  and  water,  of  which  it 
dipped  plentifully.  Once  more  the  Indians  gave  it  back  to 
me  and  I  put  it  on,  all  mud  as  it  was,  and  said  to  him,  'Per- 
haps you  are  playing.'  At  this  he  left  us.  A  day  or  two 
after  this  McKay,  another  Indian,  made  a  violent  speech  and 
forbade  all  the  Indians  to  labor  for  us. 

"We  intended  to  take  no  notice  of  these  things,  not  even 
to  mention  them,  but  the  superintendent  of  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
Mr.  McKinley,  sent  up  his  interpreter  to  inquire  about  it  as 
he  had  heard  exciting  stories  from  the  Indians.  I  wrote  him 
all  was  quiet  and  we  had  no  concern,  but  at  the  same  time  I 
gave  him  the  last  mentioned  case  and  also  told  him  I  feared 
Joe  Gray,  a  half-breed  Iroquois,  for  a  long  time  a  servant  of 
the  company,  but  who  was  in  the  camp  of  the  Waiilatpu  and 
Walla  Walla  Indians  from  April  to  September,  contributed  to 
cause  this  excitement,  for  I  was  told  by  an  Indian  after  the 
affair  that  Joe  Gray  had  told  Til-an-ka-ik  while  at  his  camp 
and  fishery  that  we  were  rendering  the  Indians  miserable  and 
that  we  ought  to  pay  for  the  lands.  This  Gray  is  a  Romanist 
and  held  worship  in  the  forms  of  that  church  among  the  In- 
dians. Mr.  McKinley  espoused  our  cause  warmly  and  sent 
word  to  the  Indians  that  he  felt  the  insult  offered  to  us  as  of- 
fered to  himself,  and  that  those  who  conducted  themselves  so 
much  like  dogs  would  not  be  permitted  to  see  him  with  com- 
placency. The  interpreter  added  much  to  this,  according  to 
the  Indian's  stories.  He  told  them  that  when  Governor  Simp- 
son, of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  heard  of  the  death  of  Chief 
Factor  Block,  who  was  killed  at  Thompson's  River  Fort  last 
winter  in  his  own  house  by  an  Indian,  he  felt  that  it  was  not 
to  have  his  people  killed  that  he  sent  and  had  forts  built  and 
brought  the  Indians  goods.  He  at  once  resolved  to  come  him- 
self and  that  he  had  gone  past  and  was  now  in  the  lower 
country. 

"He  pointed  to  the  fact  of  the  company  bringing  a  large 
number  of  men  into  the  country,  for  a  large  party  of  settlers, 
as  half  servants  to  the  company,  were  at  that  time  at  the  fort 
on  their  way  from  the  Red  River,  to  settle  on  the  Cowlitz,  and 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  255 

that  the  company  had  during  the  last  summer  removed  a  large 
part  of  the  cattle  from  the  upper  country  as  evidence  of  a  state 
of  readiness  to  avenge  Chief  Factor  Block's  death,  and  that 
company  were  prepared  and  determined  to  avenge  any  other 
like  outrage  of  the  Indians,  whether  it  occurred  in  one  or  two 
or  three  years,  whether  it  might  be  here  or  among  any  other 
Indians.  This  excited  them  very  much,  for  they  did  not  know 
how  to  take  it;  they  felt  that  they  had  committed  themselves 
and  been  compared  to  dogs.  After  a  meeting  among  them- 
selves, they  came  to  have  a  talk  with  us.  Mrs.  Whitman  came 
and  called  me,  as  I  was  not  in  the  house  at  the  time,  and  Mr. 
Gray  and  myself  came  in.  They  persisted  in  entering  through 
the  kitchen  into  the  dining  room,  and  let  in  all  who  presented 
themselves  at  their  accustomed  door.  While  we  were  talking, 
Pa-la-is-ti-wat,  an  old  Indian,  commenced  threatening  Mrs. 
Whitman  at  the  window  with  a  hammer,  in  order  to  force  open 
the  door  and  at  the  same  time  Sa-ki-aph,  who  was  in  the  house, 
was  trying  to  unlock  another  door  in  order  to  throw  open  the 
house.  I  called  on  him  to  stop  and  also  asked  the  Chief  to 
stop  him,  but  called  in  vain.  I  then  went  and  took  the  key 
from  the  door.  He  went  directly  into  the  kitchen  removed 
the  fastening  and  opened  the  door,  but  I  followed  him,  and  as 
he  opened  the  door  to  let  others  in  I  put  him  out,  and  fastened 
the  door,  returned  and  sat  down.  Having  got  the  hammer 
from  Pa-la-is-ti-wat,  he  beat  the  door,  and  the  others  took  a 
large  American  ax,  by  which  means  they  broke  the  kitchen 
door  and  a  horde  of  lawless  savages  took  possession  of  the 
house.  At  the  same  time  Sa-ki-aph  came  in  with  the  hammer 
and  Pa-la-is-ti-wat  with  the  ax  to  attack  us.  Mr.  Gray  met 
the  former  and  myself  the  latter  and  disarmed  them.  After  I 
got  hold  of  the  ax  I  did  not  excite  myself  to  take  it  away  until 
I  had  waited  to  see  if  the  chief  would  speak  to  restore  order, 
but  waited  in  vain.  After  I  took  the  ax  away  he  held  to  my 
collar  and  struck  me  with  his  fist  and  tore  my  clothes.  Mrs. 
Whitman  took  the  ax  from  me  while  I  was  being  held  by  the 
Indian,  and  Mr.  Gray  put  both  ax  and  hammer  upstairs.  Sa- 
ki-aph  soon  returned  with  a  club  and  advanced  upon  me.  As 
I  arose  to  take  the  club  T  dodged  the  blow  he  was  leveling  at 
me,  for  which  I  was  greatly  ridiculed  by  them  as  fearing  death. 


256  Marcus  Whitman 

While  I  was  telling  them  I  did  not  fear  to  die,  if  I  did  not 
partake  of  the  sin  of  causing  my  death,  Sa-ki-aph  came  in 
again  with  a  gun  and  presented  it  to  me  and  asked  me  if  I 
did  not  fear  to  die.  Our  hired  men  were  in  the  house  by  this 
time  and  one  went  and  stood  so  as  to  command  the  gun.  They 
persisted  in  saying  that  because  I  said  I  was  not  afraid  to  die 
that  it  was  as  though  I  had  challenged  them  to  kill  me ;  but  I 
told  them  'no'  I  did  not  challenge  them  nor  did  I  want  to  suffer 
pain;  but  still  I  did  not  fear  to  die,  as  I  had  just  said.  At 
the  same  time  I  showed  them  the  consequences  of  killing  us 
and  sending  us  in  advance  of  themselves  into  the  presence  of 
God.  They  wanted  me  to  say  that  we  would  not  shut  any  of 
our  doors  against  them,  and  said  if  we  would  do  so  we  would 
live  in  peace.  We  told  them  that  so  long  as  we  were  allowed 
to  live  and  occupy  our  houses  we  should  order  our  doors,  and 
if  they  wished  to  live  in  peace  they  must  not  oppose  such  regu- 
lations. Til-an-ka-ik  now  exclaimed  that  it  was  impossible  to 
bully  us  into  a  fight.  Wap-tash-tak-mahl  next  said  that  there 
was  property  in  the  house  and  that  they  were  accustomed  to 
have  it  given  them  when  they  had  a  difficulty.  I  told  them 
they  would  not  get  the  value  of  a  single  awl  or  pin  for  their 
bad  conduct,  and  if  they  wanted  property  in  that  way  they 
must  steal  it.  He  thought  it  very  hard  language.  I  told  them 
that  I  felt  that  this  was  not  an  excitement  of  the  moment,  but 
that  it  was  the  result  of  what  Joe  Gray  had  told  them  while 
on  the  Grande  Konde  River.  At  first  they  were  disposed  to 
call  me  to  account  for  my  authority,  but  Wap-tash-tak-mahl 
arose  and  said  it  was  true ;  he  had  told  them  so  but  had  forbid 
them  to  tell  of  it  lest  he  should  be  blamed.  He  then  related 
what  he  had  told  them.  That  formerly  the  whites  came  on 
to  the  Iroquois  land,  they  killed  two  and  drove  them  off;  after 
that  they  killed  two  more,  and  then  when  the  whites  wanted  to 
buy  their  land  they  loved  them  and  said  they  wanted  them  for 
their  children,  but  at  last  they  bought  them  and  gave  a  great 
sum  of  money  and  after  that  all  lived  as  brothers.  They  now 
broke  up  and  went  away,  saying  they  won  Id  go  and  see  if  Mr. 
McKinley  would  call  them  dogs.  We  thought  but  to  apprise 
him  of  their  intention  and  sent  accordingly  to  the  Fort  in  the 
night. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  25  7 

"The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath  and  it  was  a  sad  day  to 
us.  Many  stayed  away  from  worship  and  some  went  to  the 
Fort  carrying  their  arms.  Others  were  insolent  and  reckless 
of  evil.  They  did  many  violent  acts  such  as  breaking  our 
windows  and  troubling  our  animals.  We  now  felt  that  we 
had  showed  the  example  of  non-resistance  as  long  as  it  was 
called  for,  and  as  we  went  to  bed  we  put  ourselves  in  a  state 
of  defense,  should  anything  occur  at  the  Fort  and  the  Indians 
return  upon  us.  We  also  resolved  to  go  to  the  Fort  and  take 
our  families  and  stay  for  a  time,  until  we  could  either  arrange 
to  go  away  or  return,  as  might  seem  best. 

"On  Monday  I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  McKinley,  giving 
an  account  of  their  conduct  there,  a  copy  of  which  I  will  give 
you,  dated  Walla  WTalla,  Oct.  4,  1841 : 

"'My  Dear  Sir: 

'I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  there  is  every 
prospect  of  your  being  allowed  to  keep  peaceful  possession  of 
your  place  and  that  you  will  not  be  further  molested  by  the 
Indians.  (It  was  rumored  that  they  intended  to  break  into 
the  Fort  Sabbath  night,  which  caused  them  to  keep  watch 
and  mount  all  their  guns  and  cannons,  and  load  them  with 
nails,  old  pieces  of  iron,  etc.,  to  be  ready  in  case  they  should 
need  them).  Rogers  would  have  told  you  how  matters  stood 
when  he  left.  All,  however,  was  quiet  during  the  night.  Af- 
ter breakfast,  this  morning,  I  sent  for  the  Indians,  and  when 
they  came  into  the  hall,  I  told  them  I  wished  to  know  their 
hearts,  and  at  the  same  time,  tell  the  state  of  my  own,  for,  al- 
though I  sent  for  horses  the  other  day,  I  would  not  trade  one 
till  such  times  as  I  knew  whether  we  were  to  have  war  or  not. 
That  for  my  own  part  I  did  not  care  which ;  I  dared  them 
to  take  my  fort  from  me,  for  that  I  had  a  sufficient  number  of 
men  to  protect  myself,  but  that  I  could  not  protect  yon,  but 
if  they  persisted  in  doing  you  harm  that  I  would  instantly 
send  to  Chief  Factor  McLonghlin,  who  would  send  up  ;i  suffi- 
cient number  to  avenge  the  whole,  and  that  the  plunder  of 
their  horses  would  be  sufficient  payment  for  the  trouble.  That 
I  knew  they  might  kill  you  before  assistance  came,  but  that  it 
afforded  me  great  satisfaction  they  could  not  send  you  to 
hell.      That  it  is  the  first  time  I  had  heard  of  Indians  in  my 


258  Marcus  Whitman 

part  of  the  country  treating  missionaries  being  obliged  to  pay 
for  the  lands  they  occupied.  I  concluded  by  saying  that  if 
they  were  willing  to  acknowledge  their  faults  and  promise 
better  conduct  in  future,  I  was  sure  you  would  forgive  the 
past,  and  that  if  you  did  I  would  do  so,  also.  That  spilling 
of  blood  was  far  from  my  wish,  but  that  it  was  time  we  un- 
derstood each  other's  hearts.  Wap-tash-tak-mahl,  McKay  and 
Til-an-ka-ik  all  spoke  one  after  the  other.  It  is  unnecessary 
for  me  to  tell  you  all  that  they  said  at  present.  Let  it  suffice, 
therefore,  till  we  meet  that  what  one  and  all  of  them  said,  ex- 
pressed deep  contrition  for  what  had  passed,  and  many  prom- 
ises that  they  conduct  themselves  well  in  future.  In  fact,  they 
spoke  most  reasonably  and  acknowledged  that  they  were  al- 
together in  the  wrong.  I  then  told  them  that  I  was  very 
willing  to  blot  from  my  memory  their  dogly  conduct,  and  that 
I  was  sure  you  would  do  so  likewise.  So  I  think  you  will  find 
it  to  the  advantage  of  all  concerned  to  forget  and  forgive  the 
past.  But  pray  put  your  face  against  paying  them  for  their 
bad  conduct.  In  hopes  that  you  will  agree  with  my  plans,  I 
remain  your  sincere  well  wisher, 

ARCHIBALD  McKINLEY.' 

"On  Tuesday,  the  5th,  we  called  the  Indians  to  hold  a  talk 
with  them ;  the  result  of  which  was  to  gain  a  full  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  first  understanding  we  had  with  them  before 
the  establishment  of  the  mission.  This  talk  was  fully  inter- 
preted to  them  by  the  interpreter  at  Walla  Walla,  and  I  do 
not  know  that  it  could  have  been  more  complete  in  all  the  re- 
lations required  for  the  station.  We  told  them  plainly  that 
unless  they  were  ready  to  protect  us  and  enforce  good  order, 
we  would  leave  them ;  that  we  did  not  come  to  fight  them,  but 
to  teach  them.  The  first  agitators  were  very  full  in  their 
expressions  of  sorrow  for  their  conduct,  but  Wap-tash-tak- 
mahl,  who  asked  to  be  paid  for  their  bad  conduct  and  had 
pretended  to  be  friendly,  in  the  case  showed  duplicity  and 
how  loth  he  was  to  relinquish  the  hope  of  getting  property,  as 
he  has  also  at  other  times  since.  A  brother  of  Iich-ish-kais- 
kais,  not  at  the  time  at  the  station,  but  who  soon  after  ar- 
rived, made  a  feast  at  which,  as  usual  on  such  occasions,  sub- 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  259 

jeets  of  interest  were  discussed.  He  then  proposed  to  require 
of  us  that  we  must  distribute  our  cattle  among  them,  or  else 
they  would  require  us  to  leave.  Wap-tash-tak-makl  consented 
to  the  same,  but  Tak-an-ka-ik,  who  had  been  the  principal  agi- 
tator before,  entreated  them  not  to  do  it,  assuring  them  that 
they  should  not  extort  cattle  by  fear,  and  desired  them  not 
to  follow  in  his  bad  track,  for  which  he  was  justly  censured 
by  the  superintendent  at  Walla  Walla,  and  incurred  the  name 
of  a  dog.  It  is  said  this  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  Iich- 
ish-kais-kais,  and  a  promise  that  he  would  not  mention  it 
again.  Ka-mash-pa-hi,  another  who  had  arrived  since  the  dis- 
turbance, said  he  advised  all  to  be  still  and  say  no  more  about 
causing  themselves  to  be  paid  for  the  land,  wood,  water,  etc. 
He  did  not  think  we  expected  such  things  when  we  located  on 
the  vacant  lands." J 

(d)  In  1842,  a  Nez  Perces  Indian,  who  had  been  at  school 
at  Red  River,  died,  and  his  relatives  managed  to  frighten 
some  Columbia  River  Indians  as  being  the  cause  of  his 
death.  In  order  to  satisfy  them  the  River  Indians  gave  many 
horses  and  much  property  to  some  prominent  relatives  of  the 
deceased.  As  these  relatives  passed  the  Doctor's  station  on 
their  way  home,  he  tried  to  show  them  the  wickedness  of 
their  conduct,  and  to  induce  them  to  return  it.  Twelve  or 
fourteen  of  them  gathered  at  the  Doctor's,  quite  angry,  be- 
cause of  his  plain  talk,  with  a  rope,  bow  and  arrows  with  iron 
points,  and  a  war  club.  Mrs.  Whitman  was  present,  and 
after  considerable  talk  and  some  suspicious  actions,  which  she 
saw,  with  the  rope  and  war  club,  she  went  out  slyly  and  called 
in  some  friends.  When  they  came  in  the  Indians  saw  that 
they  were  foiled,  and  at  last  promised  to  restore  all  the  prop- 
erty they  had  received.2 

It  has  already  been  briefly  stated  that  soon  after  Dr.  Whit- 
man left  for  the  East,  in  October,  1812,  one  night  an  Indian 
entered  Mrs.  Whitman's  house  with  wicked  intentions.  Her 
own  account  of  this  in  a  letter  dated  October  7th,  1812,  to  her 
husband,   is  as  follows:      "I   got  dreadfully    frightened   last 

'"Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1891,  pp.   154,  162. 
2  Letter  of  Mrs.  Whitman  in  "Oregon  Pioneer  Transactions,"  1801, 
pp.  Ml,  143. 


260  Marcus  Whitman 

night.  About  midnight  I  was  awakened  by  some  one  trying 
to  open  my  bedroom  door.  At  first  I  did  not  know  what  to 
understand  by  it.  I  raised  my  head  and  listened  a  while,  and 
then  lay  down  again.  Soon  the  latch  was  raised  and  the  door 
opened  a  little.  I  sprang  from  the  bed  in  a  moment  and  closed 
the  door  again,  but  the  ruffian  pushed  and  I  pushed  and  tried 
to  latch  it  again,  but  could  not  succeed.  Finally  he  gained 
upon  me  until  he  opened  the  door  again,  and  as  I  supposed, 
disengaged  his  blanket  (at  the  same  time  I  calling  John),  and 
ran  as  if  for  his  life.  The  east  dining  room  was  open.  I 
thought  it  was  locked,  but  it  appeared  that  it  was  not.  I 
fastened  the  door,  lit  a  candle  and  went  to  bed,  trembling  and 
cold,  but  could  not  rest  till  I  had  called  John  [a  Hawaiian] 
to  bring  his  bed  and  sleep  in  the  kitchen.  It  was  in  such  a 
time  that  I  found  that  he  was  too  far  off.  Had  he  persisted 
J  do  not  know  what  I  should  have  done.  I  did  not  think  of 
the  war-club,  but  I  did  think  of  the  poker.  Thanks  be  to  our 
Heavenly  Father,  He  mercifully  delivered  me  from  the  hands 
of  a  savage  man.  Mungo  [a  Hawaiian]  arrived  in  the  night 
some  time,  and  came  in  to  see  me  this  morning.  I  told  him 
about  the  Indian's  coming  into  my  room;  the  first  time  I 
spoke  of  it  to  any  one.  Soon  after  he  went  to  Walla  Walla, 
and  left  his  wife  with  me.  I  did  not  think  to  write  by  him. 
He  returned  this  eve,  bringing  letters  from  Mr.  McKinley  and 
Brother  Gray,  who,  it  seems,  is  not  off  yet,  urging  me  to  re- 
move immediately  to  Walla  Walla.  Mungo  told  them  of  my 
fright  last  night.  It  alarmed  them  very  much.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinley and  wife  were  coming  here  tomorrow,  and  she  was 
going  to  stay  some  time  with  me,  but  he  says  he  will  not  do  it 
now,  but  insists  on  my  removing  there  immediately.  He  has 
told  Mungo  to  stay  until  he  comes  on  Monday,  and  tomorrow 
he  sends  back  the  wagon  for  me  to  be  ready  to  go  on  Tuesday. 
I  shall  go  if  I  am  able.  They  appear  to  be  so  anxious  about 
me.  Doubtless  it  is  not  safe  for  me  to  remain  alone  any 
longer.  In  talking  to  McKay  and  Feather  Cap  today  about 
it,  I  told  them  I  should  leave  and  go  below;  I  could  not  stay 
and  be  treated  so.     I  told  them  I  came  near  beating  him. 

"They  said  it  would  have  been  good  if  I  had  done  so,  and 
laid  him  flat  so  that  they  might  have  all  seen  who  he  was. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  261 

Some  think  there  will  be  no  further  danger.  I  think  it  safe 
for  me  to  go  now,  as  our  friends  are  so  anxious  about  me,  and 
Mr.  McKinley  so  kindly  offers  to  prepare  a  room  to  make  me 
comfortable."  1 

Dr.  E.  White  says  it  was  an  Indian  chief  who  was  the  mis- 
creant. Accordingly,  Mrs.  Whitman  left  her  station  as  here- 
tofore stated.  Of  it  she  says :  "The  Indians  did  not  like  my 
leaving  very  well — seem  to  regret  the  cause.  I  felt  strongly 
to  prefer  to  stay,  if  it  could  be  considered  prudent,  but  the 
care  and  anxiety  were  wearing  on  me  too  much."  She  was 
so  unwell  as  to  be  obliged  to  lie  down  in  the  wagon  most  of 
the  way  to  Walla  Walla — twenty-five  miles. 

(f)  Soon  after  she  left  the  grist  mill  near  their  house 
was  burned.  This  was  a  damage  to  the  mission  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  McKinley  says  it  was  supposed 
to  have  been  set  on  fire  by  the  Indians.  Of  this  Mrs.  Whit- 
man wrote  in  a  letter  to  her  parents:  "This  was  very  af- 
flicting news  to  me,  for  all  our  living  came  out  of  the  mill, 
principally,  and  not  only  ours  at  the  station,  but  multitudes 
in  the  country  in  different  ways  were  benefited  by  it.  Prob- 
ably there  were  more  than  two  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  and 
corn  and  some  flour  burned — the  mill  bolt,  threshing  mill,  even 
to  a  part  of  the  waterwheel,  were  burnt.  My  poor  husband 
will  feel  this  sadly;  so  much  of  his  labor  lost  and  so  much, 
too,  that  saves  labor.  I  think  sometimes  that  if  I  had  not 
left,  perhaps  it  would  not  have  been  burnt;  but  it  will  all 
work  for  the  best  for  us  and  for  the  poor  Indians,  too.  I  left 
a  good  man  there  (William  Geiger),  but  he  could  do  nothing 
alone,  as  it  was  set  on  fire  in  the  night  and  not  discovered 
until  it  had  made  considerable  progress.  It  is  pretty  difficult 
to  ascertain  whether  it  was  the  result  of  design  or  careless- 
ness. It  is  said  that  two  boys  (and  we  know  them  to  be  of 
malicious  habits)  were  fishing  and  threw  fire  down  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  that  communicated  with  the  straw.  The 
sensible  part  of  the  Cayuses  feel  the  loss  deeply,  and  they  will 
feel  it  still  more  when  they  want  their  wheat  ground.  We 
hope  it  will  be  a  good  lesson  to  them,  and  be  one  means  of 

'"Oregon  Pioneer  Transactions,"  1891,  p.  163,  etc. 


262  Marcus  Whitman 

making  them  a  better  people.  Husband  had  prepared  adobes 
to  surround  the  mill  before  he  left,  but  being  called  away  so 
suddenly,  Mr.  Spalding  engaged  to  see  them  put  up.  He  had 
arrived  at  Waiilatpu  when  I  left  Walla  Walla,  and  com- 
menced work,  but  was  sent  for  in  great  haste,  as  Mrs.  Spald- 
ing was  taken  very  sick,  and  was  unable  to  take  care  of  her- 
self or  children.  This  left  the  mill  unfinished  and  unpro- 
tected." x 

In  December,  1842,  Dr.  E.  White,  U.  S.  Sub-Indian  Agent, 
met  some  of  the  Cay  uses,  when  Feather  Cap  acknowledged 
that  in  his  opinion  the  mill  was  purposely  burnt  by  some  per- 
sons who  were  disaffected  to  Dr.  Whitman.  At  that  time  it 
was  expected  to  hold  a  council  with  the  Cayuses,  but  they  were 
scattered  and  so  disaffected  that  it  was  not  possible.  It  was, 
however,  arranged  to  hold  one  the  next  May.  This  was  held 
at  the  appointed  time.2  In  the  meantime  there  arose  a  great 
excitement,  which  at  first  began  with  the  Indians  of  the  inter- 
ior of  Oregon,  as  the  Walla  Walla,  Cayuses,  Nez  Perces  and 
others,  but  which  spread  to  those  in  the  Willamette  Valley. 
The  cause  of  this  was  that  the  Indians  feared  that  the  whites 
were  coming  to  take  possession  of  their  lands,  of  which  more 
will  be  said  hereafter.  The  excitement  was  so  great  that  Mrs. 
Whitman,  April  11,  1843  wrote  Mrs.  Walker : 

"All  the  talk  is  war,  war,  among  the  Indians ;  that  some  of 
the  whites  in  the  Willamette  wished  Dr.  White  to  build  a 
strong  fortification  in  the  center  of  the  settlement;  and  that 
others  wished  him  to  take  an  armed  force  to  the  interior,  and 
if  words  would  not  answer,  make  powder  and  balls  do  it." 

The  Doctor,  however,  preferred  more  peaceable  means,  and 
taking  only  Rev.  G.  Hines  and  one  more  attendant,  with  an  in- 
terpreter, went  first  to  Mr.  Spalding's.  Mrs.  Whitman  and 
Rev.  H.  K.  W.  Perkins  joined  them  at  The  Dalles.  After  a 
pleasant  interview  with  the  Nez  Perces  they  returned  with  Mr. 
Spalding  to  Dr.  Whitman's  station.  Chief  Ellis  and  five  or 
six  hundred  Nez  Perces  also  came.  At  the  first  meeting  of 
these,  with  about  three  hundred  Walla  Wallas  and  Cayuses, 

'"Oregon  Pioneer  Transactions,"  1891,  p.  172. 
'White's  "Thrilling  Adventures,"  p.  191. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  263 

all  mounted  in  the  plain  in  front  of  Dr.  Whitman's,  there  was 
great  excitement;  so  that  Chief  Ellis  said  he  thought  the 
Cayuses  really  meant  to  fight  them,  and  there  had  been  rumors 
that  war  was  expected  between  the  two  tribes;  but  Mr.  Spald- 
ing's tact  as  this  time  in  calling  them  off  for  worship,  calmed 
them  down.  Four  days  were  occupied  with  the  council,  at 
which  the  various  matters  were  discussed  and  settled.  A 
cow  was  given  them  for  each  horse  which  had  been  presented 
to  Rev.  J.  Lee.  Laws  similar  to  those  adopted  by  the  Nez 
Perces  the  previous  winter  were  adopted  by  them.  Five 
Crows  was  elected  head  chief,  and  the  whole  affair  was  fin- 
ished with  a  feast,  for  which  Dr.  White  gave  them  an  ox,  he 
having  given  them  another  during  the  council,  while  Mrs. 
Whitman  gave  them  a  hog.  Thus  the  whole  affair  ended 
peaceably,  although  Dr.  McLoughlin  strongly  advised  Dr. 
White  against  this  course  as  being  dangerous ;  and  the  In- 
dians were  ready  to  fight,  as  they  supposed  that  Dr.  White 
was  coming  with  an  armed  force.1 

(g)  The  land  question  still,  however,  continued  to  trouble 
the  Indians;  not  that  they  still  demanded  pay  from  the  Doctor 
for  the  amount  that  he  used,  so  much  as  they  feared  that  the 
Americans  were  about  to  take  away  all  that  they  had.  When 
Dr.  Whitman  departed  in  October,  1842,  says  Rev.  G.  Hines, 
with  the  avowed  intention  of  bringing  back  with  him  as  many 
as  he  could  enlist  for  Oregon,  they  saw  a  deep  laid  scheme  of 
the  whites  to  destroy  them,  and  take  possession  of  their  lands. 
Accordingly,  the  Nez  Perces  dispatched  one  of  their  chiefs  on 
snowshoes  during  that  winter  to  visit  the  Indians  in  the  buf- 
falo country  east  of  Fort  Hall  for  the  purpose  of  exciting  them 
to  cut  off  the  immigrants  of  1843,  but  this  was  happily  pre- 
vented. 

The  Cayuses  talked  freely  with  Mr.  William  Geiger,  who 
had  charge  of  Dr.  Whitman's  station  during  his  absence  in 
the  East,  and  whom  they  considered  their  friend,  of  their  fears 
on  the  subject.  During  that  winter  there  was  a  rumor  that 
the  whites  in  the  Willamette  intended  to  march  on  them  with 

'White's  "Thrilling  Adventures,"  chapters  9,  20,  and   Hines'  "Ore- 
gon," chapter  9. 


264  Marcus  Whitman 

an  army,  kill  them  all,  and  take  their  land.  When  they  first 
heard  of  it,  the  young  men  were  in  favor  of  immediately  march- 
ing to  the  Willamette  and  cutting  off  the  whites ;  but  the  older 
chiefs  were  in  favor  of  more  caution.  They  thought  it  best 
to  wait  for  more  information.  They  often  told  Mr.  Geiger 
that  they  did  not  wish  to  go  to  war,  but  if  the  Americans 
should  come  to  conquer  them,  they  would  fight  so  long  as  they 
had  a  drop  of  blood  left.  They  said  that  they  had  obtained 
their  information  about  the  intentions  of  the  Americans  from 
Baptiste  Dorio,  who  was  a  half-breed,  son  of  Madame  Dorio, 
a  heroine  of  Irving's  Astoria,  and  who  understood  the  Nez 
Perces  well. 

Mr.  Geiger  tried  to  induce  them  to  cultivate  the  ground, 
as  they  had  done  the  year  before,  but  they  refused,  saying 
that  Baptiste  Dorio  had  told  them  that  it  would  be  of  no  use, 
as  the  Americans  would  come  in  the  summer,  kill  them  all,  and 
destroy  their  plantations.  Accordingly,  they  sent  Yellow  Ser- 
pent, a  Walla  Walla  chief,  to  Vancouver  to  consult  with  Dr. 
McLoughlin  about  it.  When  he  returned  he  said  the  Doctor 
had  told  him  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  in  a  war  with  the  In- 
dians; that  he  did  not  believe  that  the  Americans  had  de- 
signed to  attack  them  and  that  if  they  did,  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  would  not  assist  them.  On  learning  this  from  the 
great  Doctor,  they  became  more  calm,  and  many  of  them  began 
cultivating  their  patches  of  ground.1 

After  Dr.  Whitman's  return  from  the  East  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  any  personal  violence  was  used  against  him  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  Two  or  three  causes,  however,  conspired 
to  trouble  the  Indians,  and  to  make  the  Doctor  feel  uneasy  at 
times  about  his  personal  safety,  and  to  cause  his  friends  like- 
wise to  feel  uneasy  about  him. 

(h)  In  the  fall  of  1844  another  circumstance  occurred 
which  greatly  excited  the  Indians.  It  was  the  killing  in  Cali- 
fornia of  Elijah  Hedding,  a  young  chief,  the  son  of  a  promi- 
nent chief  of  the  Walla  Walla  tribe.  A  number  of  the  Walla 
Wallas,  Cayuses  and  Spokanes  combined  to  go  to  Californa  to 
get  more  cattle.     They  obtained  them.     All  went  well  until  in 

1  Hines'  "History  of  Oregon,"  pp.  164,  165. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  265 

an  excursion  for  elk  and  deer  skins  they  met  a  marauding  party 
of  mountain  freebooters,  fought  and  conquered  them,  and  took 
twenty-two  horses  from  them,  all  of  which  had  previously  been 
stolen  from  the  whites.  According  to  the  narrative  of  the  In- 
dians the  Spaniards  claimed  the  horses,  and  even  offered  fifteen 
cows  for  them,  but  the  chief  would  not  consent  to  deliver  them 
up,  and  the  negotiations,  unhappily,  broke  off.  A  day  or  two 
afterwards,  an  American  saw  his  mule  among  the  captured 
animals,  and  said  he  would  have  it.  "Will  you?"  said  Elijah 
Bedding,  and  stepping  into  his  lodge  he  immediately  loaded 
his  rifle,  and  coming  out,  said,  "Now  go  and  take  your  mule." 
The  American,  much  alarmed,  said,  "I  hope  you  are  not  going 
to  kill  me."  "No,"  said  the  young  chief;  "I  am  going  to  kill 
yonder  eagle,"  which  was  perched  on  a  neighboring  oak.  Not 
liking  the  appearance,  the  man  left  without  attempting  to  take 
his  mule.  A  day  or  two  afterwards,  the  Indians  walked  down 
to  Fort  Sutter  to  church.  After  service,  according  to  the  In- 
dians, Elijah  was  invited  into  another  apartment,  where  he 
went,  taking  with  him  his  uncle,  a  brave  and  sensible  chief  of 
about  forty-five  years.  While  there,  unarmed  and  defenseless, 
the  whites  commenced  threatening  them  about  things  alleged 
against  the  Indians  of  their  region,  in  which  none  of  them  had 
participated,  calling  them  thieves,  dogs,  and  the  like.  The 
American  then  said :  "Yesterday  you  were  going  to  kill  me ; 
now  you  must  die,"  at  the  same  time  drawing  a  pistol.  Eli- 
jah, who  had  been  five  or  six  years  at  the  Methodist  mission 
near  Salem,  and  had  learned  to  read,  write  and  speak  English, 
said,  "Let  me  pray  a  little  first,"  and,  kneeling  down,  began 
to  do  so.  While  thus  engaged,  he  was  shot  dead  on  the  spot. 
Every  measure,  the  Indians  said,  was  taken  to  cut  them  all  off 
by  the  Spaniards,  who  brought  out  cannon  and  other  firearms 
and  hotly  pursued  them,  but  after  much  suffering  all  the  rest 
arrived  safely  at  home,  leaving  the  herds  they  had  paid  for 
in  California. 

When  they  arrived  at  home  all  the  Indians  were  much  ex- 
cited. A  part  were  for  immediately  raising  two  thousand  war- 
riors, going  to  California,  and  avenging  the  death  of  the  young 
chief.  Others  wished  first  to  learn  how  if  would  be  regarded 
in  the  Willamette,  and  whether  the  Americans  there  would  re- 


266  Marcus  Whitman 


main  neutral,  and  others  were  for  holding  the  Americans  in 
Oregon  responsible,  as  Elijah  was  killed  by  an  American.  El- 
lis, head  chief  of  the  !Nez  Perces,  was  immediately  sent  to  the 
Willamette  to  see  Dr.  White  about  it.  On  his  way  he  called 
on  Dr.  McLoughlin  and  Mr.  Douglas,  who  were  in  charge  of 
Fort  Vancouver,  who  sympathized  with  the  sufferers,  and  at 
the  same  time  attempted  to  calm  the  chief.  Dr.  Whitman 
was  very  uneasy  over  this  affair,  and  wrote  of  his  fears  to 
Dr.  White  by  Ellis.  Dr.  White  promised  to  write  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  California,  Captain  Sutter,  and  other  influential  men 
about  the  matter;  he  wrote  a  sympathizing  letter  to  the  In- 
dians, and  invited  the  chiefs,  with  Dr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spald- 
ing, to  meet  and  confer  with  him  on  the  subject  in  the  fall.  He 
also  made  some  other  conditional  promises  to  them  about  a 
school  which  they  much  desired.1 

Mr.  Spalding,  according  to  Father  Brouillet,  says  that  sev- 
eral meetings  were  held  by  the  Indians  to  consider  whether  Dr. 
Whitman,  himself,  or  some  other  American  teacher,  should  be 
killed  as  a  set-off  for  Elijah.2  Dr.  Whitman,  too,  felt  that  the 
matter  was  not  settled,  but  only  slumbered.  While  on  a  visit 
to  the  Willamette  in  the  spring  of  1845,  he  expressed  his  appre- 
hensions to  Dr.  McLoughlin,  and  the  latter  agreed  with  him 
on  the  danger  of  the  situation,  and  advised  him  to  go  to  the 
Willamette.  It  is  not  probable,  however,  that  this  affair  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  murder  of  Dr.  Whitman,  although  the 
Cayuses  referred  to  it  at  that  time,  as  Elijah  was  a  Walla 
Walla  Indian,  but  the  W7alla  Wallas  remained  peaceful  during 
that  trouble. 

(i)  Another  cause  of  trouble  was  the  influence  which  the 
Catholics  had  upon  the  Indians.  Wliether  or  not  any  of  them 
worked  directly  to  induce  the  Indians  to  murder  the  Doctor  is 
a  question  which  has  been  widely  discussed,  and  about  which 
different  opinions  are  held.  There  is,  however,  little,  if  any, 
doubt  but  that  their  indirect  influence — the  natural  result  of 
their  teaching — aroused  hostile  feelings  in  the  minds  of  the  In- 
dians.     Istikus,  a  Cayuse  chief,  said  after  the  death  of  Dr. 

1  White's  "Thrilling  Adventures,"  pp.  243,  250. 
2Brouillet's  "Protestantism  in  Oregon,"  p.  7. 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  267 

Whitman:  "The  Catholic  priests  told  them  that  what  the 
Doctor  taught  them  would  take  them  to  the  devil,  and  the 
Doctor  told  them  that  what  the  priests  told  them  would  take 
them  to  the  devil.  After  the  priests  told  them  that,  the  In- 
dians said  they  believed  it,  for  the  Doctor  did  not  cure  them." 
Father  Brouillet  says  that  Tilaukait,  the  Cayuse  chief,  at  one 
time  offered  them  a  certain  piece  of  land  for  a  Catholic  mis- 
sion, but  afterwards  changed  his  mind,  saying  it  was  too  small, 
and  the  chief  then  said  that  he  had  no  other  place  to  give  but 
that  of  Dr.  Whitman's,  whom  he  intended  to  send  awav.  All 
that  here  need  be  stated  is  the  fact  that  some  of  the  Indians 
became  angry  at  the  Doctor  through  the  presence  and  teach- 
ings of  the  Catholics.1 

1  No  history  covering  the  period  of  Whitman's  activity  as  a  pioneer 
of  the  West  and  the  tragedy  by  which  it  was  terminated  can  be  com- 
plete and  true  if  it  ignores  the  Catholic  missionaries  and  their  work 
among  the  Indians  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  nor  can  the  facts  be 
told,  however  dispassionately,  without  provoking  controversy,  while 
there  yet  remains  among  the  living  those  on  the  one  side  who  will 
not  assent  to  an  acquittal  of  the  priests  of  responsibility  for  engen- 
dering among  the  Indians  who  participated  in  the  massacre  feelings 
of  animosity  towards  Whitman  and  all  Americans;  and  those  on  the 
other  side  who  resent  any  and  every  suggestion  of  bad  faith  on  the 
part  of  the  priests,  and  will  not  be  satisfied  with  any  statement  which 
does  not  give  them  credit  for  being  true  emissaries  of  peace  and  good 
will  to  all  men  and  for  active  benevolence  and  neighborly  kindness 
towards  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman,  and  repudiate  the  idea  that  their 
influence  was  more  favorable  to  continuation  of  the  domination  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  British  interests  in  Oregon,  than  to 
American  supremacy.  A  true  history  should  not  suppress  facts  and 
it  should  silence  controversy,  hence  the  necessity  for  time  to  accom- 
plish its  task  of  eliminating  entirely  the  prejudices  of  the  actors  and 
their  friends  before  the  impartial  historian  can  hope  to  do  his  work 
as  it  should  be  done. 

Theological  differences  between  Christians  of  different  sects  are 
extremely  difficult  for  the  untutored  minds  of  savages  to  comprehend. 
The  Cayuses  and  Walla  Wallas  were  doubtless  unable  to  reconcile 
Catholic  doctrine  with  the  teachings  of  the  Protestant  missionaries. 
If  their  own  crude  ideas  concerning  heretics  were  used  as  a  pretext 
for  fomenting  among  themselves  ill-will  towards  Whitman,  as  seems 
probable,  nevertheless,  De  Smet,  Brouillet,  the  Blanchets  and  Demers, 
lived  too  long  in  the  country  and  their  virtues  were  known  and  appre- 
ciated by  too  many  people  to  leave  any  ground   for  supposing  that 


268  Marcus  Whitman 

In  the  winter  of  1846-7  there  was  so  much  dissatisfaction 
that  Dr.  Whitman  felt  quite  uneasy  about  affairs,  and  a  coun- 
cil of  the  Cayuses  was  called  to  discuss  the  question  of  Dr. 
Whitman's  remaining.  Mr.  McBean,  then  in  charge  of  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  kept  the  Indians  somewhat  excited  by  telling 
them  of  the  Mexican  War.  Dr.  Whitman  then  proposed  to  the 
Indians  that  the  majority  of  the  tribe  should  let  him  know 
what  they  wanted,  but  when  the  vote  was  taken,  only  two  or 
three  were  found  to  be  in  favor  of  his  leaving.  The  Doctor, 
however,  thought  seriously  about  going,  but  Mr.  Geiger  says: 
"I  told  him  I  thought  it  their  duty  to  remain.  I  thought  the 
Indians  as  quiet  as  communities  in  general ;  in  old  places 
there  were  more  or  less  difficulties  and  excitements."  Mr. 
Geiger  was  clearly  of  the  opinion  that  the  influence  of  the 
Koman  Catholic  priests  through  Lehai,  a  French  half-breed, 
Tom  Hill,  a  Delaware  Indian,  and  others,  was  the  cause  of 
the  discouragement  of  Dr.  Whitman  at  this  time.  This  Tom 
Hill  had  told  the  Indians  that  a  few  Americans  had  come  at 
first  to  settle  on  the  lands  of  the  Shawnees,  but  when  they 
were  strong  enough  they  had  driven  the  Shawnees  away,  so 
that  the  Shawnees  had  no  land  left.  He  also  told  them  that 
the  Americans  would  treat  them  in  the  same  way.  Dr.  Whit- 
man knew  these  things  and  was  determined  that  no  whites 
should  settle  on  the  lands  of  the  Cayuses  until  the  govern- 
ment should  pay  them  for  their  lands,  if  he  could  prevent  it. 

In  the  spring  of  1847  Dr.  Whitman  was  again  in  the  Will- 
amette, and  while  there  called  upon  Judge  J.  Q.  Thornton,  at 
Oregon  City,  «nd  talked  freely  of  the  perils  to  which  he  feared 
all  connected  with  his  station  were  exposed.  He  said  that  he 
believed  nothing  short  of  the  speedy  establishment  of  a  terri- 

unprejudiced  students  of  history  will  believe  them  to  have  been 
guilty  of  malevolently  endeavoring  to  instigate  the  Indians  to  com- 
mit deeds  of  violence. 

That  the  priests  faithfully  preached  to  the  Indians  the  doctrines 
cf  their  church  antagonistic  to  Protestantism,  cannot  be  doubted,  but 
the  time  has  not  come  yet  when  the  facts  in  detail  concerning  their 
doctrinal  teachings  and  the  effect  can  be  boldly  set  forth  and  be  ac- 
cepted as  truth. 

C.  H.  HANFORD. 


most  REV.   r.   N.   BLANCHET,  Archbishop  ..I   Oregon 
\  i.ky  BEV.  J.  it.  BKOI  ii.i.kt,  >  i«:ir  General  Diocese  of  Nisqually 
BIGHT  BEV.  MODESTE  DEMEBS,   Bishop  <>r  Vancouver   island,   It.  <'. 
BIGHT  BEV.    \.   M.  A.   itl..\N<  II  i:  I .  Bishop  <>f   Nisqually 


Difficulties  With  the  Indians  269 

torial  government  would  save  him  and  his  mission  from  fall- 
ing under  the  hands  of  the  murderous  savage.  He  urged  Judge 
Thornton  to  go  at  once  to  Washington  City,  on  behalf  of  the 
people  and  the  provisional  government  and  for  other  purposes. 
Judge  Thornton  had  sought  to  induce  P.  H.  Burnett  after- 
wards Governor  of  California,  to  go,  himself  being  adverse  to 
doing  so,  but  this  interview  decided  him  to  go,  if  Governor 
Abernethj  would  furnish  him  with  the  necessary  letter  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Governor  Abernethy  did  so, 
and  Judge  Thornton  resigned  his  position  as  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  and  went  to  Washington.  It  proved,  however, 
to  be  too  late  to  save  Dr.  Whitman.1 

Hon.  Jesse  Applegate,  Mr.  F.  Pettygrove,  and  perhaps  oth- 
ers, advised  the  Doctor  to  leave  when  dangers  began  to  thicken 
and  threaten,  and  he  repeatedly  said  that  he  would  if  the 
Indians  so  wished,  but  a  large  majority  said  he  must  not;  and 
he  thought  the  times  would  soon  change,  as  he  believed  that 
the  United  Staes  would  soon  extend  a  territorial  government 
over  the  country.2 

The  matter  was  also  discussed  in  the  mission  bands,  says 
Rev.  C.  Eells,  D.  D.  The  Doctor  determined  to  remain  during 
the  next  winter,  1847-48,  but  said  to  the  other  missionaries, 
''If  I  stay  and  lose  my  life,  you  are  exonerated."  Previous  to 
the  time  when  the  measles  were  introduced,  he  consulted  with 
Istikus,  his  special  Indian  friend,  who  thought  it  safe  for  the 
Doctor  to  remain. 

In  order  to  render  his  situation  more  safe,  however,  he 
asked  Mr.  Thomas  McKay,  then  at  Walla  Walla,  to  spend  the 
winter  with  him,  but  Mr.  McKay  could  not  on  account  of  his 
own  business.3  As  already  stated,  he  determined  to  remove 
from  his  own  station  to  The  Dalles  in  the  spring.  According 
to  his  nephew,  P.  B.  Whitman,  he  was  afraid  for  his  own  life 
from  the  Cayuses,  but  thought  no  one  else  would  be  harmed.4 


1  "Transactions  Oregon   Pioneer  Association,"  1874,  p.  83. 

2  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  484. 

8  Brouillet's  "Protestantism  in  Oregon,"  p.  8. 
4  Gilbert's  "Historic  Sketches,"  p.  111. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE   CATHOLICS. 


Dr.  Whitman  came  to  the  country  in  1836.  The  first  Cath- 
olic priests  came  two  years  later,  Rev.  F.  N.  Blanchet  and  Rev. 
M.  Demers.  They  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla  November  18, 
1838,  where  they  remained  twenty-four  hours,  and  baptized 
three  persons,  celebrated  one  mass,  and  were  visited  by  some 
of  the  Cayuse  and  Walla  Walla  Indians.  Mr.  Pambrun,  who 
was  then  in  charge,  gave  them  a  cordial  welcome.  His  wife, 
an  Indian  woman,  and  his  children  were  then  at  Fort  Van- 
couver, and  on  December  18th  of  the  same  year  his  three  girls 
and  their  mother  were  baptized  and  his  marriage  was  blessed. 
On  a  subsequent  visit  to  Walla  Walla  by  Rev.  M.  Demers,  says 
the  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Oregon,  '"the  young 
chief  brought  his  child  to  be  baptized  by  the  priest,  Mr.  Pam- 
brun having  consented  to  be  its  godfather,  which  gained  for 
him  great  displeasure  from  the  Doctor." 

Mr.  T.  F.  Farnham  gives  quite  a  lengthy  description  of 
this  latter  baptism  and  the  interview  of  the  priests  with  the 
Indians,  as  given  by  one  of  their  number,  as  it  occurred  while 
he  was  at  Dr.  Whitman's.  He  says :  "On  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-fifth  [of  September,  1839]  an  old  chief  of  the  second 
rank  entered  Dr.  Whitman's  sitting  room,  and  seated  himself 
on  the  floor  in  the  corner  of  the  apartment,  with  a  countenance 
that  showed  nothing  in  particular,  except  that  he  was  an  In- 
dian that  had  worn  out  some  fifty  years  of  his  pilgrimage, 
without  bowing  either  his  spine  or  his  pride.  After  sitting 
half  an  hour  ...  he  addressed  Dr.  Whitman  in  such  words 
as  induced  him  to  seat  himself.  A  conversation  then  com- 
menced on  some  topic  of  apparent  interest  to  both  parties,  and 
continued  for  two  hours.  Mrs.  Whitman,  who  understood 
the  language,  appeared  to  listen,  and  to  be  greatly  interested. 
.     .     .     After  the  colloquy  ended  I      ...     asked  a  transla- 


The  Catholics  271 

tion  of  the  old  Indian's  communication.  Its  substance  was 
.  .  .  that  one  of  the  priests  in  the  fullness  of  his  love  for 
the  well  being  of  the  Nez  Perces,  and  by  some  agreeable  cas- 
ualty in  the  events  of  his  spiritual  life,  met  that  tribe,  chief 
and  people  at  Fort  Walla  Walla,  and  going  to  them  in  the  full- 
ness of  his  holy  calling,  spake  on  this  wise:  'There  is  in  a 
very  distant  part  of  the  earth  a  man  of  God,  who  is  over  good 
people,  and  holds,  as  the  vice-regent  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  keys 
of  heaven  and  hell.  Next  to  him  in  rank,  goodness  and  power 
are  twelve  others,  who  represent  the  twelve  apostles,  and  live 
near  his  person.  Next  to  these  twelve,  in  the  exericise  of  God's 
authority,  are  many  thousands  of  priests,  spread  abroad  over 
the  whole  earth,  who  are  commissioned  to  hear  confession  of 
sins,  and  by  the  right  of  absolution  to  bind  those  on  earth 
who  would  eventually  be  bound  in  the  enjoyments  of  heaven. 
But  he  averred  that  he  had  reasons  to  believe  that  the  Indians 
lent  wicked  ears  to  the  Americans  who  were  ignorant  unbe- 
lievers and  heretics,  and  held  doctrines  abominable  to  God  and 
the  holy  Church.  The  Americans  knew  nothing  about  relig- 
ion, except  what  they  had  learned  from  the  holy  Church,  and 
of  that  little  had  such  blind  notions  that  they  could  never  en- 
lighten a  darkened  Indian  mind.' 

"Here  a  Skyuse  (Cayuse)  said,  with  much  heretical  imper- 
tinence, 'Yes,  they  do.  The  Americans  give  us  many  new  ideas 
about  God,  and  teach  us  to  sing  and  worship.'  After  this 
very  irreverent  interruption,  the  priest  continued:  'I  tell 
you,  Nez  Perces  and  Skyuses,  that  you  must  leave  the  Ameri- 
cans if  you  would  have  your  souls  saved.  What  do  these 
Americans  for  you?  What  presents  have  they  ever  made 
you?  Nothing!  If  you  only  obey  me  and  leave  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  come  down  here  and  encamp  around  this  Fort,  and 
hear  to  tbem  no  more,  tbe  Great  Father,  representative  of  the 
Maker  of  all  the  world  and  its  people,  will  in  the  spring  send 
you  a  teacher  to  save  you  from  the  dreadful  fires  which  con- 
sume heretics  in  the  world  of  souls,  and  will  send  you  many 
presents,  for  he  is  vastly  rich.  Look  at  these  Americans; 
how  poor  they  are!  They  dress  meanly  and  are  obliged  to 
work.' 

"Here  the  high  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces,  in  the  most  wicked 


272  Marcus  Whitman 

and  heretical  manner,  asked  his  reverence,  'Was  Jesus  Christ 
rich?'  The  priest  not  condescending  to  reply  to  his  ungodly 
impudence,  the  wicked  chief  continued,  'Did  Jesus  Christ  wear 
long,  black,  shining  robes  as  you  do?  Had  he  any  tent  to 
cover  his  head?  Are  you  Jesus  Christ's  man?  One  of  your 
chiefs  came  among  us  many  moons  ago,  and  set  up  a  great 
pole,  raised  on  it  a  King  George  flag,  and  told  us  to  dance 
around  it  on  the  Sabbath  days.  We  did  as  he  bade  us.  But 
we  learned  no  new  ideas.  Our  hearts  were  still  for  war.  We 
had  no  upward  thoughts.  He  told  us  the  next  year  he  would 
send  us  a  teacher,  but  none  came.  We  do  not  know  when 
your  Jesus  Christ's  men  talk  the  truth.  The  Americans  live 
among  us,  teach  us  to  read  and  sing  and  worship.  We  know 
what  they  do.  We  hear  their  words,  and  see  no  evil  in  them. 
This  is  my  heart  and  the  heart  of  my  people.'  The  priest  was 
much  pained  at  the  stubbornness  and  heresy  of  the  Nez  Perces 
and  Skyuse,  and  in  the  exercise  of  his  high  functions  consigned 
them  to  purgatory.  He,  however,  baptized  the  children  of 
the  high  chief  of  the  Skyuse,  and  obliged  him  to  put  away  his 
favorite  wife,  the  mother  of  all  his  children. 

"To  these  reports  Dr.  Whitman  gave  but  little  credence,  so 
at  variance  were  some  of  the  facts  related  with  what  he  pre- 
sumed the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  would  permit  to  be  done 
by  anyone  in  their  employment  or  under  their  patronage — the 
abuse  of  American  citizens,  and  an  ungentlemanly  interfer- 
ence with  their  characters  and  calling. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  27th,  the  high  chief  returned  to  the 
mission,  full  of  grief  at  the  loss  of  the  mother  of  his  children. 
He  said  that  the  priest  urged  him  to  avoid  the  Americans,  and 
stay  at  the  Fort,  and  that  he  had  replied  to  him  that  his  farm 
and  cattle  and  provisions  and  people  were  with  the  Americans, 
and  that  he  should  stay  with  them."  1 

The  above  is  the  story  as  it  came  through  the  Indians  and 
Mr.  Farnham,  whose  style  is  somewhat  peculiar. 

That  Dr.  Whitman  was,  however,  uneasy  about  these  events 
is  certain.  In  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Spalding  about  this 
time  he  spoke  of  some  difficulty  from  the  Catholic  priest.     He 

1  "Farnham's  Travels,"  chap.  7. 


The  Catholics  273 

said  that  the  priest  was  then  at  Walla  Walla  calling  the  In- 
dians, and  telling  them  that  we  are  false  teachers,  because 
we  do  not  feed  and  clothe  the  people;  that  we  have  wives  as 
other  men,  and  wear  pantaloons  as  common  men,  and  not  frocks 
as  he  does.  The  people  are  told  not  to  come  near  the  Doctor, 
as  he  is  a  bad  man,  and  has  made  no  Christians  as  yet,  but 
he  will  fit  them  all  for  heaven  soon. 

To  the  Board  at  Boston  Rev.  A.  B.  Smith  wrote  somewhat 
similarly  from  Dr.  Whitman's  station.  He  said:  "The  time 
has  now  come  when  we  are  convinced  that  what  we  do  must 
be  done  quickly.  Papacy  is  now  making  its  appearance,  and 
the  errors  of  that  church  are  beginning  to  be  diffused  among 
this  people.  At  this  time  [September  13,  1839]  the  Catholic 
priest  is  at  Walla  Walla  instructing  the  people,  and  the  In- 
dians are  gathering  together  there  to  listen  to  the  false  doc- 
trines which  he  inculcates.  Already  has  the  priest  denounced 
us  because  we  have  wives,  and  the  people  are  told  that  they 
are  going  to  hell  because  they  are  unbaptized.  How  much  in- 
fluence this  may  have  on  them  we  know  not.  One  thing  is  cer- 
tain— the  natural  heart  loves  such  instruction  as  the  Catholics 
usually  give,  and  we  have  reason  to  fear  that  our  work  will 
soon  be  done  among  this  people."  ' 

To  his  brother  in  May,  1811,  Dr.  Whitman  also  wrote: 
"There  is  likely  to  be  a  strong  Catholic  division  here  for  one 
thing.  It  has  been  fostered  more  or  less  by  our  late  neighbor, 
Mr.  Pambrun,  who  died  on  the  15th  inst.  from  an  injury  re- 
ceived by  a  fall  from  a  horse."  To  Mrs.  Whitman's  parents  he 
wrote,  October  6, 1841,  of  a  "picture  of  a  tree  hanging  in  Chief 
Factor  McLoughlin's  room  at  Vancouver,  which  represents  all 
Protestants  at  the  withered  ends  of  the  several  branches  of 
Papacy,  falling  off  down  into  infernal  society  and  flames,  as 
represented  at  the  bottom.  This  gives  a  good  idea  of  their 
manner  of  instruction  to  the  Indians  as  drawn  out  in  manu- 
script, and  given  to  them,  accompanied  with  oral  instructions 
of  a  similar  character.  The  possession  of  one  of  these  manu- 
scripts by  an  Indian  binds  him  not  to  hear  any  more  the  in- 
structions of  Protestants,  so  far  as  my  observation  can  prove."3 

'"Missionary   Herald,"   1840.  p.   320. 

2  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1891,  p.  150. 


274  Marcus  Whitman 

The  use  of  the  printing  press,  which  had  arrived  in  1839, 
about  the  time  of  the  visit  of  the  priest,  aided  the  mission. 
Small  books  and  pamphlets  were  printed  and  freely  distributed 
among  both  the  Cayuse  and  Nez  Perces  Indians,  and  this  so 
pleased  and  interested  them  that  in  a  measure  it  counteracted 
the  influence  of  the  priest.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spalding  were  con- 
siderably successful  in  their  efforts  in  the  same  direction. 
While  the  priest  introduced  the  Catholic  tree  and  ladder,  the 
picture  above  referred  to,  Mrs.  Spalding  painted  a  picture, 
which  both  imparted  a  large  amount  of  Bible  information  and 
gave  the  Protestant  Indians  a  considerable  advantage.1 

Still  Dr.  Whitman  did  not  feel  easy.  He  was  fully  alive 
to  the  efforts  which  the  Roman  Catholics  were  making  to  gain 
the  mastery  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  he  was  firmly  persuaded 
that  they  were  working  in  the  interests  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  with  a  view  to  this  very  end.  The  danger  from  this 
quarter  had  made  a  profound  impression  on  his  mind.  Under 
date  of  April  1,  1847,  he  said:  "In  the  autumn  of  1842  I 
pointed  out  to  our  mission  the  arrangements  of  the  papists  to 
settle  in  our  vicinity,  and  that  it  only  required  that  those  ar- 
rangements should  be  completed  to  close  our  operations." 

The  difficulty  in  1841,  spoken  of  in  the  previous  chapter, 
when  the  Doctor  nearly  lost  his  life,  was  originated  by  a  Cath- 
olic Indian,  Joe  Gray,  and  carried  on  by  another,  Til-au-ka-ik, 
according  to  the  letter  of  Dr.  Whitman  there  given. 

In  the  fall  of  1842,  Rev.  E.  Walker,  in  writing  to  the  Board 
in  order  to  induce  it  to  rescind  its  order  to  discontinue  the  sta- 
tions of  Dr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spalding,  said  while  speaking 
of  Catholic  influence,  "the  people  have  been  told  that  our  teach- 
ing is  erroneous,  and  we  should  even  be  compelled  to  leave  the 
field." 

In  the  spring  of  1843,  while  Dr.  Whitman  was  in  Missouri, 
waiting  for  the  emigration  to  start,  he  wrote  letters  to  his 
relations,  in  which  he  speaks  of  General  J.  C.  Fremont  and  his 
company  going  along  to  explore,  most  of  whom,  he  says,  were 
Catholics.      He  also  added:      "Two  papal  priests  and  their 

1  Gray's  "History  of  Oregon,"  p.  184,  and  his  "Indian  Question," 
p.  33. 

2  "Missionary  Herald,"  1866,  p.  374. 


The  Catholics  275 

lay  helpers  are  along;  and  Father  De  Smet  has  gone  back  in 
order  to  go  to  Enrope  to  bring  others  by  ship.  I  want  you 
to  get  De  Smet's  Indian  Sketches.  It  can  be  found  at  the 
Catholic  book  stores.  You  will  see  in  what  way  the  Society 
of  Jesus  do  their  missionary  work,  and  what  we  have  to  con- 
tend with  in  Oregon." 

From  time  to  time  a  few  other  Catholic  missionaries  ar- 
rived in  Oregon,  but  no  mission  was  begun  near  Walla  Walla 
until  1847.  Some  of  the  priests  visited  that  place  about  every 
year,  and  intercourse  was  kept  up  between  them  and  the  In- 
dians who  inclined  toward  them.  In  the  main,  however,  they 
confined  themselves  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  Vancouver,  the 
Cowlitz,  Puget  Sound,  and  among  the  Flatheads.  In  the  Will- 
amette and  on  Puget  Sound,  according  to  their  own  statements, 
they  had  made  every  possible  effort  to  draw  the  Indians  away 
from  the  Methodist  missionaries,  and  in  the  main  they  had 
been  successful. 

About  the  8th  of  April,  1839,  Rev.  D.  Leslie  of  the  Metho- 
dist mission  reached  the  Cowlitz  on  his  way  to  Nisqnally, 
where  he  intended  to  establish  a  mission.  This  information 
at  once  prompted  Rev.  Mr.  Blanchet  to  send  Father  Demers 
to  Nisqually,  in  order  to  forestall  and  counteract  him.  The 
priest  immediately  went.  He  was  well  received  by  Mr.  Kitson, 
the  commander  of  the  post,  and  by  the  Indians;  he  remained 
there  ten  days  and  baptized  Mrs.  Kitson  and  fourteen  others, 
married  two  couples,  and  left  with  the  conviction  that  there 
was  a  very  feeble  chance  for  a  Methodist  mission,  and  that  Mr. 
AYilson,  whom  Mr.  Leslie  had  left  there,  must  have  felt  very 
despondent.  This  visit  at  this  time,  says  the  Catholic  histor- 
ian, "was  forced  upon  him  by  the  establishment  of  a  Methodist 
mission  there  for  the  Indians."  * 

In  1841  the  priests  went  among  the  Indians  that  had  been 
under  the  Methodists  at  Wapato  Lake,  held  meetings  there  and 
baptized  some,  which  was  "the  beginning  of  their  abandonment 
of  Methodism."  They  also  went  to  Oregon  City,  and  "nine 
families  out  of  ten  were  rescued  from  Brother  Waller." 

In  fact,  this  was  their  acknowledged  policy.     Says  the  same 

'"History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Oregon,"  pp.  87-89-96-1 1 '.»  L21. 


276  Marcus  Whitman 

historian :  "In  a  word,  they  were  to  run  after  the  sheep  when 
they  were  in  danger.  Thence  their  passing  so  oft  from  one 
post  to  another,  for  neither  the  white  people  nor  the  Indians 
claimed  their  assistance  in  vain.  And  it  was  enough  for  them 
to  hear  that  some  false  prophet  had  penetrated  into  a  place  or 
intended  visiting  some  locality,  to  induce  the  missionaries  to 
go  there  immediately  to  defend  the  faith  and  prevent  error 
from  propogating  itself."  ' 

Dr.  Whitman  realized  these  facts  and  plans,  hence  it  was 
not  strange  that  he  feared  their  influence.  Many  have  noted 
the  fact  that  the  Catholics  seem  to  be  far  more  successful  with 
the  Indians,  and  perhaps  with  other  heathen,  than  the  Protes- 
tants. It  is  a  fact  that  often  at  first  they  are,  but  whether 
they  are  so  in  the  long  run,  in  reality,  is  another  question,  not 
so  readily  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Many  Indians  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  have  asked  and  begged  for  missionaries,  not  be- 
cause they  wished  to  change  their  religion,  but  because  they 
saw  the  power  of  the  whites,  wished  for  that  power,  and  felt 
that  in  some  way  or  other  the  white  man's  religion  was  con- 
nected with  his  power ;  also,  having  heard  of  heaven  and  hell, 
they  wish  to  gain  the  one  and  escape  the  other.  Not  being 
sufficiently  educated  to  distinguish  the  principles  which  sep- 
arate Catholicism  from  Protestantism,  they  have  been  willing 
to  accept  either,  both  being  white  men's  religions.  The  Cath- 
olic religion  is  the  easiest  to  them,  consisting  more  of  forms 
and  ceremonies  and  show,  which  is  attractive  to  the  eye,  or,  as 
Eev.  A.  B.  Smith  says,  more  in  accordance  with  the  desires  of 
the  natural  heart.  The  Protestant  religion  tells  them  that 
the  heart  must  be  changed,  as  it  naturally  is  in  enmity  against 
God,  and  hence  when  the  Indians  are  told  that  they  may  be 
on  the  road  to  heaven  by  being  baptized  and  going  through  a 
few  ceremonies,  and  at  the  same  time  feel  that  they  are  on  the 
road  to  a  little  of  the  white  man's  power  and  happiness  in  this 
world,  they  very  naturally  at  first  often  accept  the  Catholic 
teaching.  Dr.  Whitman  realized  these  facts,  and  hence  feared 
the  interference  of  the  Catholics. 

By  the  close  of  1844,  the  Catholics  claimed  to  have  brought 
six  thousand  pagans  in  Oregon  and  British  Columbia  to  the 

1  "History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Oregon,"  p.  64. 


The  Catholics  277 

faith.  Most  Rev.  Francis  Norbert  Blanchet  had  been  ap- 
pointed Archbishop  of  Oregon  City,  the  country  had  been  di- 
vided into  three  sees — Oregon  City,  Vancouver  and  Walla 
Walla.  Right  Rev.  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet  was  Bishop  of  Walla 
Walla. 

Many  of  the  Cayuses  had  been  drawn  to  the  Catholic  faith. 
Mr.  Hines  says:  "One  half,  including  some  prominent  chiefs." 
Mr.  A.  McKinley,  the  friend  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  a  Protestant, 
had  been  removed  from  having  charge  of  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
and  Mr.  William  McBean,  a  Catholic,  had  been  put  in  his  place. 
It  is  plain  that  while  most  of  the  leaders  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  were  Protestants,  yet  they  were  quite  willing,  for  at 
least  two  reasons,  that  the  Catholics  should  have  their  pro- 
tection and  favors.  One  was  that  a  large  number  of  the  em- 
ployes were  French  Catholics,  and  they  were  willing  that  such 
should  have  their  own  priests.  The  other  was  a  question  of 
policy.  The  Protestant  missionaries  were  Americans,  and 
next  to  their  love  of  God  loved  their  country;  many  of  them 
were  working  that  Oregon  should  become  a  part  of  the  United 
States.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  did  not  wish  this.  They 
foresaw,  what  has  since  occurred,  that  such  action  would  de- 
stroy their  business.  No  Protestant  English  missionaries 
came,  and  so  the  only  missionaries  who  might  favor  the  efforts 
of  the  company  to  secure  the  country  for  England,  in  order  that 
it  might  be  made  over  to  them  for  a  hunting  and  trapping  re- 
gion, were  the  Catholics;  and  these  were  thought  to  be  willing 
to  help  the  company  in  this  respect,  in  return  for  their  protec- 
tion. 

"The  arrival  of  the  Bishop  of  Walla  Walla  with  his  clergy 
at  the  Fort,"  says  the  Catholic  historian,  "was  a  thunderbolt 
to  the  Presbyterian  ministers,  specially  to  Dr.  Whitman.  He 
was  wounded  to  the  heart  by  it.  He  could  not  refrain  from 
expressing  his  great  dissatisfaction,  saying  he  would  do  all  in 
his  power  to  thwart  the  Bishop." ' 

The  Bishop  remained  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  until  the  27th 
of  October,  when  he  went  to  the  camp  of  the  Cayuses  on  the 
Umatilla  River. 

1  "History  of  the  Catholic  Missions  in  Oregon,"  p.  165. 


278  Marcus  Whitman 

All  that  transpired  between  the  priests,  Mr.  McBean  and 
the  Indians  while  the  Bishop  remained  at  the  Fort  will  never 
be  fully  known.  Father  Brouillet  says  that  the  young  chief, 
Taw-a-towe,  when  asked  if  he  wished  for  a  priest,  replied  that  he 
did ;  he  was  then  told  that  he  could  have  one,  but  only  one  for 
the  whole  nation.  The  question  of  location  was  then  discussed. 
The  young  chief  was  willing  to  give  him  a  house  and  land  at 
his  place  on  the  Umatilla,  but  thought  it  would  be  better  to 
have  the  Catholic  mission  near  Dr.  Whitman's.  Ti-lau-kait, 
the  chief  at  Dr.  Whitman's  station,  was  then  sent  for,  and  he 
offered  to  give  the  Father  Dr.  Whitman's  station,  but  Father 
Brouillet  replied  that  he  would  not  have  that,  and  so  other 
land  near  by  was  promised.  When  the  Father  went  to  look  at 
the  land,  Ti-lau-kait  said  that  he  had  changed  his  mind  and 
would  give  him  no  place  but  Dr.  Whitman's.  This  Brouillet 
declined,  left  the  place,  and  prepared  to  settle  on  the  Umatilla 
about  forty  miles  distant.1 

Dr.  Whitman  knew  considerable  of  what  was  going  on. 
Under  the  date  of  October  18,  1847,  he  wrote  to  the  Board: 
"I  will  not  repeat  what  Mr.  Rodgers  has  written  about  the 
Papists  farther  than  that  all  are  Jesuits  who  are  to  labor 
among  the  Indians.  ...  It  will  be  well  for  you  to  know 
that  from  what  we  can  learn  their  object  will  be  to  colonize 
around  them.  I  cannot  blame  myself  that  the  plan  I  laid 
down  when  I  was  in  Boston  [in  1843]  was  not  carried  out. 
If  we  could  have  had  good  families,  say  two  or  three  together, 
to  have  placed  in  select  spots  among  the  Indians,  the  present 
crisis  which  I  feared  would  not  have  come."  Perhaps  the 
reader  will  remember  the  earnest  appeal  which  he  made  to  the 
Board,  in  a  letter  on  Page  136.  Only  two  days  before  his 
death,  while  he  and  Mr.  Spalding  were  riding  to  the  Umatilla, 
they  conversed  on  the  danger  which  threatened  them  from  the 
Catholic  influence. 

'"Brouillet's  Protestantism  in  Oregon,"  pp.  17,  34. 


CHArTER  XII. 


THE  MASSACRE. 


On  the  29th  of  November,  1847,  one  of  the  saddest  events 
occurred  which  has  been  known  in  the  historv  of  the  North- 

t/ 

west  Coast — the  Whitman  massacre,  by  which  the  Doctor  and 
thirteen  others  were  killed,  his  family  blotted  out  of  existence, 
and  the  Oregon  Mission  destroyed.1 

Mr.  Spalding  arrived  at  Dr.  Whitman's  station  November 
22nd,  having  come  from  Lapwai,  with  his  daughter  Eliza,  then 
ten  years  old,  and  with  several  horse  loads  of  grain,  which 
were  to  help  feed  the  immigrants  who  were  wintering  there. 
He  found  the  Indians  dying  rapidly  from  measles  and  dysen- 
tery, and  the  whites  sick  with  the  same  diseases,  one  of  their 
children  dying  on  the  23rd.  At  this  time  Dr.  Whitman's  fam- 
ily consisted  of  himself  and  wife;  Mr.  Andrew  Rodgers,  who 
had  come  to  the  country  in  1845,  but  who  had  been  employed 
by  the  Doctor  on  his  arrival  as  a  teacher  and  had  become  an 
assistant  missionary  studying  for  the  ministry ;  a  brother  and 
sister  named  Bewley;  seven  Sager  children,  already  referred 
to  as  having  been  adopted  by  the  Doctor;  Helen  Mar,  a  half- 
breed  daughter  of  Joseph  Meek;    Mary  A.,  another  half-breed, 

1  Full  accounts  of  this  event  have  been  given  by  Mr.  Gray  in  his 
"History  of  Oregon,"  Mrs.  Victor  in  her  "River  of  the  West,"  Mr. 
Spalding  in  various  lectures  and  newspaper  articles  (he  having  spent 
many  years  in  collecting  from  various  parties  the  details  of  the  mas- 
sacre), and  Mr.  G.  H.  Gilbert  in  his  "Historic  Sketches  of  Walla  Walla 
and  Other  Countries  of  the  Interior  of  Washington  and  Oregon" 
(who,  however,  follows  Mr.  Spalding  very  closely).  In  the  main 
these  accounts  agree,  but  in  many  of  the  details  they  differ,  and  where 
they  differ  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  learn  the  exact  facts.  The  author 
has,  however,  not  thought  it  best  to  go  into  as  full  details  as  some 
of  them  have  done,  as  such  full  records  are  preserved. 


280  Marcus  Whitman 

the  daughter  of  Captain  Bridger;  a  half-breed  Spanish  boy, 
whom  the  Doctor  had  brought  up  from  infancy;  and  two  sons 
of  Mr.  Manson  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  fifteen  in  all. 
There  were  also  at  his  station,  and  at  his  saw-mill  in  the  Blue 
Mountains,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant,  eight  other  famil- 
ies, who,  with  a  few  single  persons,  numbered  fifty-two  per- 
sons. Most  of  these  were  poor  immigrants  of  that  year,  who 
felt  that  they  could  go  no  farther  until  the  next  spring,  and 
whom  the  Doctor  was  aiding  and  employing  in  various  ways. 

There  were  also  about  the  station  three  other  persons,  Joe 
Lewis,  Nicholas  Finley,  and  Joseph  Stanfield,  who  did  not  be- 
long to  the  Cayuse  tribe,  and  were  more  or  less  employed  by  the 
Doctor,  and  who  yet  evidently  knew  what  was  about  to  occur, 
and  hence  may  be  reckoned  among  the  conspirators. 

Joe  Lewis,  as  far  as  can  be  learned,  was  a  Canadian  In- 
dian, said  to  have  come  from  Canada  in  1847  with  a  party  of 
priests  and  French,  by  whom,  it  was  said,  the  measles  wrere 
brought  into  the  immigrant  train  of  that  year.  He  accom- 
panied the  party  as  far  as  Fort  Boise,  where  they  left  him, 
and  from  thence  he  found  his  way  to  Dr.  Whitman's,  appar- 
ently destitute  of  clothes  or  shoes.  He  immediately  made  him- 
self at  home  at  the  Doctor's,  but  the  Doctor  soon  found  that 
he  was  making  trouble  among  the  Indians,  and  finding  an  im- 
migrant who  was  going  on  and  in  want  of  a  teamster,  he  fur- 
nished Joe  Lewis  with  a  shirt  and  shoes,  and  induced  him  to 
go  on  with  the  immigrant.  But  on  the  second  day  he  ran 
away,  and  on  the  third  day  was  back  again  at  Dr.  Whitman's, 
where  he  took  a  leading  part  in  the  massacre.  As  soon  as  that 
was  over,  he  selected  the  Manson  boys  and  the  Spanish  half- 
breed,  and  arranged  to  send  them  to  Fort  Walla  Walla.  Mr. 
McBean  says  that  he  afterwards  returned  to  Forts  Boise  and 
Hall,  and  Mr.  McDonald,  of  Fort  Colville,  says  that  some  years 
afterwards  he  killed  the  guide  of  a  company  of  United  States 
soldiers  and  was  shot.  There  have  also  been  other  rumors  as 
to  his  subsequent  career  and  death,  and  it  is  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  learn  much  about  him. 

Joseph  Stanfield  was  a  Canadian  Frenchman. 

Nicholas  Finley  was  a  French  half-breed,  who  had  formerly 


The  Massacre  281 

kept  the  horses  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  was  at 
this  time  stopping  among  the  Indians  near  the  mission.1 

While  Mr.  Spalding  was  at  the  Doctor's,  a  message  came 
from  two  Walla  Walla  chiefs  on  the  Umatilla  River,  asking 
the  Doctor  to  visit  their  sick  villages,  about  twenty-five  miles 
distant.  Together  the  two  missionaries  set  out  for  the  place, 
on  Saturday  eve,  November  27th.  Says  Mr.  Spalding:  "The 
night  was  dark  and  the  rain  beat  furiously  upon  us,  but  our  in- 
terview was  sweet.  We  little  thought  it  was  to  be  our  last. 
With  feelings  of  the  deepest  emotion  we  called  to  mind  the  fact 
that  eleven  years  before,  we  crossed  this  trail  before  arriving 
at  Walla  Walla,  the  end  of  our  seven  months'  journey  from 
New  York.  We  called  to  mind  the  high  hopes  and  thrilling 
interests  which  had  been  awakened  during  the  year  that  fol- 
lowed— of  our  successful  labor,  and  the  constant  devotedness 
of  the  Indians  to  improvement.  True,  we  remembered  the 
months  of  deep  solicitude  we  had,  occasioned  by  the  increasing 
menacing  demands  of  the  Indians  for  pay  for  their  wood,  their 
water,  their  air,  their  lands.  But  much  of  this  had  passed 
away,  and  the  Cayuses  were  in  a  far  more  encouraging  con- 
dition than  ever  before." 

That  night  they  reached  the  lodge  of  Istikus,  ever  a  firm 
friend  of  the  Doctor's  and  the  whites,  and  the  Sabbath  was 
observed  with  due  decorum.  After  breakfast  the  Doctor 
crossed  the  river  to  visit  the  chiefs  who  had  sent  for  him,  and 
returned  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  saying  that  he 
had  taken  tea  with  the  Catholic  Bishop  and  two  priests,  at 
their  house,  and  they  had  promised  to  visit  him  in  a  short 
time.     Feeling  uneasy  about  the  sick  ones  at  home,  the  Doctor 

1  At  his  lodge,  it  is  said,  the  plans  were  arranged  for  the  massacre. 
After  it  took  place,  and  while  the  women  and  children  were  held  as 
captives,  he  claimed  Mrs.  Hays  as  his  wife.  The  next  year,  at  the 
battle  between  the  Oregon  volunteers  and  the  Indians  near  the  Uma- 
tilla, he  was  among  the  Indians  and  gave  the  signal  when  the  battle 
was  to  begin. 


282  Marcus  Whitman 

felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  return  that  evening,  while  Mr.  Spald- 
ing remained.1 

Just  as  Dr.  Whitman  left  Istikus'  lodge  and  was  mounting 
his  horse,  Istikus2  came  to  him  and  told  him  that  "Joe  Lewis 
was  making  trouble;  that  he  was  telling  his  (Istikus')  people 
that  the  Doctor  and  Mr,  Spalding  were  poisoning  the  Indians, 
so  as  to  give  their  country  to  his  own  people."  He  added :  "I 
do  not  believe  him,  but  some  do,  and  I  fear  they  will  do  you 
harm;  you  had  better  go  away  for  awhile  until  my  people  have 
better  hearts." 

Dr.  Whitman  reached  home  late  in  the  night,  visited  some 
sick  ones  before  retiring,  and  told  his  wife  what  Istikus  had 
told  him.  The  next  morning,  as  he  thought  of  this  and  other 
threats  and  stories  which  he  had  heard,  he  appeared  more 
serious  than  usual,  and  said  that  if  he  could  he  would  move 
his  family  below,  but  that  he  did  not  see  how  he  could.  Mrs. 
Whitman  did  not  come  to  breakfast,  but  one  of  the  children 
took  some  to  her.  She  was  sitting,  with  her  face  buried  in  her 
handkerchief,  weeping.  She  took  the  food,  motioned  for  the 
child  to  go  away,  but  did  not  eat  it. 

An  Indian  died  that  morning,  and  the  Doctor  attended  the 
funeral.  He  noticed  that  only  two  or  three  Indians  were 
present,  although  a  multitude  were  around.  It  caused  some 
fear,  and  he  said  to  his  wife,  ''What  does  this  mean?"  But  a 
beef  had  been  brought  in,  and  was  being  killed,  and  this,  with 
the  supposition  that  they  were  afraid  of  taking  the  disease, 
was  supposed  to  account  for  their  absence. 

Just  after  dinner  Francis  Sager  shot  the  ox  which  was  to 
be  beefed.  Messrs.  Kimball,  Canfield  and  Hoffman  were  dress- 
ing it;  Mr.  Sanders  was  in  the  school,  having  just  called  it  in 
for  the  afternoon ;  Mr.  Marsh  was  grinding  at  the  mill ;  Mr. 
Gillan  was  at  his  tailor's  bench  in  a  large  adobe  building  near 

1  He  started  to  return  on  the  following  Wednesday,  but  when  not 
a  great  way  from  Dr.  Whitman's  he  met  Father  Brouillet  and  his 
half-breed  interpreter,  from  whom  he  learned  about  the  massacre, 
which  had  occurred  two  days  previous,  whereupon  he  turned  and 
fled,  and  after  great  suffering  reached  his  home  at  Lapwai. 

2  According  to  Mrs.  S.  C.  Pringle,  one  of  the  Doctor's  adopted 
children. 


The  Massacre  283 

the  Doctor's;  Mr.  Hall  was  laving  a  tloor  in  a  room  adjoining 
the  Doctor's  sitting  room;  Mr.  Sales  was  lying  sick  in  the 
family  of  Mr.  Canfield,  who  were  living  in  the  blacksmith  shop; 
Mr.  Bewley  was  lying  sick  in  the  Doctor's  house;  John  Sager 
was  in  the  kitchen,  partly  recovered  from  the  measles;  Mr. 
Osborn  and  family  were  in  the  Indian  room  next  the  Doctor's 
sitting  room ;  Mr.  Rodgers  was  in  the  garden ;  and  Dr.  Whit- 
man and  wife  were  in  the  dining  room  with  their  three  sick 
children. 

About  two  o'clock  an  Indian  came  to  the  side  door  and 
asked  for  the  Doctor.  He  arose  and  went  out  of  the  room,  but 
soon  returned  and  sat  down  on  the  settee.  Then,  taking  his 
medicine  chest,  he  went  into  the  kitchen,  where  two  Indians 
were  waiting  to  see  him. 

Ti-lau-kait,  the  war  chief,  began  to  talk  with  the  Doctor  to 
keep  his  attention,  while  Tam-a-has,  the  murderer,  came  behind 
him,  and  drawing  a  pipe  tomahawk  from  under  his  blanket 
struck  the  Doctor  on  the  back  of  his  head.  The  first  blow 
stunned  him  and  his  head  fell  on  his  breast;  the  second  blow 
following  instantly  on  the  top  of  his  head,  brought  him  to  the 
floor  senseless,  but  not  lifeless.  Tam-a-has  then  said:  "I 
have  killed  my  father." 

The  signal  being  now  given,  probably  by  Joe  Lewis,  the  ter- 
rible work  began  at  all  points.  John  Sager  immediately  drew 
a  pistol  and  was  about  to  shoot,  when  he  was  caught  by  the 
Indians,  thrown  to  the  floor,  shot,  and  hacked  with  knives  in 
a  terrible  manner.  In  this  struggle  two  Indians  were  wounded 
by  each  other,  one  in  the  hand,  the  other  in  the  foot — the  only 
Indian  blood  shed  during  the  massacre.1 

As  soon  as  the  tumult  began,  Mrs.  Whitman  began  in  agony 
to  cry  out,  "Oh,  the  Indians!  The  Indians!  That  Joe  Lewis 
has  done  it  all !"  Other  women  came  running  in,  for  the  mas- 
sacre was  going  on  without  as  well  as  within.  Outside  the 
shrieks  of  the  women,  the  yells  of  the  Indians,  the  noise  of 
furious  riding,  of  war  clubs,  groans,  and  every  frightful  com 
bination,  such  as  only  can  be  at  such  a  carnival  of  blood,  were 
heard. 

1  Mrs.  Pringle  says  that  Mr.  Hoffman  split  the  foot  of  one  Indian. 


284  Marcus  Whitman 

With  some  help  Mrs.  Whitman  drew  her  husband  to  the 
sofa  and  laid  him  on  it,  doing  all  that  could  be  done  to  revive 
him,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  to  every  question  he  only  answered 
a  whispered  "no,"  probably  not  conscious  of  what  he  said. 
The  struggle  came  nearer  and  nearer.  Two  men  were  killed 
beneath  the  window.  Starting  up  to  see  this,  Mrs.  Whitman 
saw  Joe  Lewis,  and  said:  "Is  it  you,  Joe,  who  are  doing 
this?"  This  gave  a  good  opportunity,  and  a  young  Indian, 
who  had  received  many  acts  of  kindness  from  her,  shot  her  in 
the  breast.  She  immediately  fell  without  a  groan,  but  soon 
recovered  enough  to  stagger  towards  the  sofa  where  the  Doctor 
lay,  and  here  she  knelt  in  prayer,  praying  for  her  adopted  ones 
(the  Sager  children),  now  a  second  time  to  be  left  orphans, 
saying,  "Lord,  save  these  little  ones,"  and  for  her  father  and 
mother  in  the  States,  that  they  might  be  sustained  in  the  ter- 
rible shock.  She  cried:  "This  will  kill  my  poor  mother." 
The  only  expression  of  personal  regret  which  she  was  heard 
to  utter  was  sorrow  that  her  father  and  mother  should  live  to 
know  that  she  had  died  in  such  a  way.  She  had  previously 
ordered  the  doors  fastened  and  the  sick  children  removed  up- 
stairs. Others  had  already  gone  up,  and  she  was  now  assisted 
to  the  same  place,  where  were  Mr.  Kimball,  Mr.  Rodgers,  Mrs. 
Hays,  two  girls,  and  three  sick  children.  She  had  scarcely 
reached  the  place  when  the  windows  and  doors  were  broken  in 
below,  and  with  whoops  and  yells  the  savages  rushed  into  the 
room.  Among  them  was  Ti-lau-kait,  a  favorite  with  the  mis- 
sion, and  then  on  probation  to  be  received  into  the  church. 
He  deliberately  chopped  to  pieces  the  face  of  the  Doctor,  who 
was  still  breathing. 

The  school  children  were  now  brought  into  the  house  by 
the  Indians,  and  Joe  Lewis  talked  of  shooting  them.  Guns 
were  pointed  at  them,  but  after  being  tormented  in  this  manner 
for  a  time  they  were  taken  out.  Some  Indians  attempted  to 
go  upstairs,  but  seeing  the  end  of  an  old  gun,  they  stopped. 
There  was  a  long  talk  between  Tam-suk-y,  Mr.  Rodgers  and 
Mrs.  Whitman.  He  tried  to  induce  them  to  come  down,  while 
they  tried  to  get  him  to  come  up.  He  said  he  was  afraid  there 
were  Americans  there  concealed  who  might  kill  him,  but  he 
said  that  if  Mrs.  Whitman  and  all  the  others  would  come  down 


The  Massacre  285 

they  would  not  be  harmed,  but  that  they  would  be  taken  over 
to  the  other  house  where  the  other  families  were  collected  in 
safety,  and  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  do  so,  as  the 
young  men  would  burn  the  house  at  night.  As  other  Indians 
began  to  talk  loudly  of  burning  the  house,  there  seemed  to  be 
no  other  way  to  do  but  to  go  down  and  trust  to  the  promises 
of  the  Indians.  When  the  Indians  first  came  to  the  stairs,  the 
women  collected  around  Mrs.  Whitman,  who  lay  bleeding,  say- 
ing, "The  Indians  are  coming;  we  are  to  die,  but  we  are  not 
prepared;  what  shall  we  do?"  She,  dying,  replied,  "Go  to 
Jesus  and  ask  Him,  and  He  will  save  you." 

As  Mrs.  Whitman  came  down  stairs,  leaning  on  the  arm  of 
Mr.  Rodgers  (his  other  arm  having  been  shot  and  broken  at 
the  first  attack  before  he  entered  the  house),  she  saw  the  face 
of  her  husband  so  shockingly  mutilated  that  she  fell  fainting 
on  the  sofa,  just  as  the  Doctor  gave  his  dying  gasp.  The  sofa 
on  which  she  lay  was  lifted  and  was  being  taken  out  of  the 
kitchen  door  by  Mrs.  Hays  and  Mr.  Rodgers,  when  the  latter 
saw  the  treacherv  which  thev  had  feared,  and  which  had  made 
them  so  unwilling  to  come  down  stairs.  A  half-circle  of  In- 
dians were  standing  outside,  and  as  the  guns  were  raised,  he 
had  only  time  to  drop  the  sofa  and  cry,  "Oh,  my  God,  have 
mercy,"  when  a  shower  of  balls  came,  and  he  fell,  wounded, 
though  not  lifeless.  Some  of  the  balls  also  pierced  Mrs.  Whit- 
man. Mr.  Rodgers  lingered  some  time,  the  last  words  he  \v;is 
heard  to  say,  being,  "Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly!"  and  these  he 
frequently  repeated,  till  his  voice  failed.  The  body  of  Mrs. 
Whitman  was  thrown  from  the  sofa  into  the  mud,  where  she 
breathed  her  last,  a  little  while  before  Mr.  Rodgers  died. 

It  was  now  growing  dark,  and  those  who  were  still  dying 
were  treated  with  great  indignity,  after  which  the  Indians 
retired  to  their  lodges.  The  others  who  were  killed  on  this 
day  were  Messrs.  Hoffman,  Sanders,  Gillan,  Marsh,  John  Sa- 
ger  and  Francis  Sager,  Helen  M.  Meek  died  ;i  few  days  after- 
wards from  neglect.  Mr.  Canfield,  though  wounded,  escaped 
to  the  brush,  and  hid  himself  till  night,  when  he  fled  to  Lapwai, 
where  he  arrived  the  next  Saturday  afternoon,  carrying  the 
first  news  of  the  massacre  to  Mrs.  Spalding.  Mr.  Hall,  though 
wounded,  ran  to  the  bushes,  carrying  with  him  a  gun  which 


286  Marcus  Whitman 

he  had  wrenched  from  an  Indian.      He  escaped  and  went  to 
Fort  Walla  Walla,  where  he  arrived  the  next  morning.1 

Mr.  Osborne,  as  soon  as  the  murders  began,  raised  a  board 
in  the  floor,  put  his  family  beneath,  went  under  himself,  and 
lay  crouching  there  till  late  at  night,  hearing  much  that  oc- 
curred. When  the  Indians  retired,  he  took  his  family  and 
started  for  Fort  Walla  Walla.  Mrs.  Osborne,  having  been 
recently  confined,  was  able  to  go  only  two  miles,  when  they 
hid  themselves  in  the  brush.  The  next  night  they  went  three 
miles,  when  her  strength  gave  way.  Knowing  that  at  this 
rate  they  must  perish  with  hunger  and  exposure  before  they 
could  reach  the  fort,  Mr.  Osborne  took  one  child  and  went  to 
the  fort,  hiding  the  rest  of  the  family  in  the  bushes.  He 
reached  the  fort  on  Thursday,  where  he  was  received  very 
coldly  by  Mr.  McBean,  but  at  last  obtained  an  Indian  guide 
and  returned.  After  great  difficulty  he  found  his  family,  and 
they  were  saved. 

Mr.  Kimball,  who,  wounded,  had  remained  hid  in  the  house 
until  he  could  endure  his  sufferings  no  longer,  went  the  next 
day  for  water  and  was  immediately  shot  and  killed.  Mr. 
James  Young,  who  was  coming  from  the  saw  mill  with  a  team, 
was  met  by  the  Indians  on  Tuesday  a  short  distance  from  the 
mission  and  killed.  Messrs.  Sales  and  Bewley,  who  were  sick, 
were  not  immediately  killed,  but  Indians  were  sent  to  Uma- 
tilla, and  when  they  came  back,  these  men  were  killed,  thus 
making  fourteen  victims  in  all.  The  names  of  those  killed  are 
as  follows:  Dr.  Whitman,  Mrs.  Whitman,  Andrew  Rodgers, 
William  Sanders,  Isaac  Gillan,  James  Young,  Crockett  Bew- 
ley, Amos  Sales,  John  Sager,  Francis  Sager,  Jacob  Hoffman, 
Mr.  Marsh,  Nathan  S.  Kimball,  and  Feter  D.  Hall.  The  rest, 
with  the  exception  of  the  few  who  escaped,  were  held  as  cap- 
tives, forty-six  in  number. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  massacre,  the  bodies  of  those  who 

1  He  was,  it  is  said,  refused  admission  to  the  fort  and  put  across 
the  river  by  McBean,  then  in  charge.  He  was  never  heard  of  after- 
wards, perishing  either  from  hunger  or  the  Indians,  no  one  knows, 
though,  from  the  little  that  has  been  learned,  probably  he  was  killed. 
Some  have  surmised  that  he  was  killed  at  the  fort,  as  Mrs.  S.  C. 
Pringle  says  that  his  trousers  were  found  in  a  back  alley  of  the  fort. 


I>K.    JOHN     M< .11  I   IN 


PETER   SKI. IN    OGDEN 


The  Massacre  287 

had  been  killed  at  the  mission  were  sewed  up  in  sheets  by  the 
surviving  women,  and  buried  in  a  common  grave  in  the  mis- 
sion burying  ground,  a  few  hundred  yards  in  front  of  the 
houses,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  The  grave,  however,  was  very 
shallow,  and  the  coyotes  dug  the  bodies  up.  When  the  volun- 
teers reached  the  place  the  next  year,  they  found  parts  of  the 
bodies  still  scattered  around.  They  then  dug  one  large  grave, 
placed  all  the  remains  in  it  that  could  be  found,  placed  wagon 
beds  over  them,  and  gave  them  a  good  burial.  They  lay  near- 
est to  the  grave  where  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Whitman's  only  child, 
Alice  C,  had  been  buried. 

On  Saturday  a  new  horror  was  added  to  the  scene.  Three 
of  the  young  women  were  dragged  away  by  the  Indians  as 
their  wives ;  one  of  them,  Miss  Bewley,  being  taken  to  the 
Umatillas  to  the  lodge  of  Five  Crows,  where  Father  Brouillet 
and  Bishop  Blanchet  were  then  living.  Her  entreaties  to 
them  at  that  time  to  save  her  from  outrage  were  very  affecting. 

News  of  the  massacre  was  immediately  sent  by  Mr.  McBean 
to  Governors  F.  Douglas  and  P.  S.  Ogden,  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  at  Vancouver.  Governor  Ogden  proceeded  at 
once  to  Fort  Walla  Walla,  held  a  council  with  the  Indians,  and 
by  the  payment  of  fifty  blankets,  fifty  shirts,  ten  guns,  ten 
fathoms  of  tobacco,  ten  handkerchiefs,  one  hundred  balls  and 
powder  to  the  Cayuses  secured  the  ransom  of  the  captives. 
He  also  gave  twelve  blankets,  twelve  shirts,  twelve  handker- 
chiefs, two  guns,  two  hundred  balls  and  powder,  five  fathoms 
cf  tobacco,  and  some  knives  as  payment  to  the  Nez  Perces  for 
the  delivery  of  Mr.  Spalding  and  his  party,  who  were  held  in 
their  power.  It  has  often  been  said,  and  undoubtedly  it  is 
true,  that  no  other  person  besides  Governor  Ogden  could  have 
secured  the  release  of  all  these  persons. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  were  at  Dr.  Whit  man's 
at  the  time  of  the  massacre,  and  were  ransomed  through  the 
efforts  of  Governor  Ogden,  with  the  except  ion  of  the  Osborne 
family,  who  escaped: 

.Mission  children,  Miss  Mary  A.  Bridger;  Catherine  Sager, 
thirteen  years;  Elizabeth  M.  Sager,  ten  years;  Matilda  .!. 
Sager,  eight  years;    Henrietta  X.  Sager,  four  years;    Hannah 


288  Marcus  Whitman 

S.  Sager,  who  died  five  days  after  the  massacre;  and  Helen 
Mar  Meek,  who  died  two  days  later. 

Mr.  Joseph  Smith;  Mrs.  Joseph  Smith;  Mary  Smith,  fif- 
teen years;  Edwin  Smith,  thirteen  years;  Charles  Smith, 
eleven  years ;  Nelson  Smith,  six  years ;  Mortimer  Smith,  four 
jears,  from  Du  Page  County,  Illinois. 

Eliza  Spalding,  born  November  15,  1837,  the  second  Ameri- 
can white  child  born  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Hays ;  H.  Clay  Hays,  four  years,  from  Platte 
County,  Missouri. 

Mrs.  Eliza  Hall;  G.  Jane  Hall,  ten  years;  Mary  C.  Hall, 
eight  years;  Ann  E.  Hall,  six  years;  Rebecca  Hall,  three 
years;  Rachel  M.  Hall,  one  year;  Mrs.  Mary  Saunders;  Helen 
51  Saunders,  fourteen  years ;  Phebe  Saunders,  ten  years ;  Al- 
fred W.  Saunders,  six  years;  Nancy  J.  Saunders,  four  years; 
Mary  A.  Saunders,  two  years,  from  Mahaska  County,  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Kimball ;  Susan  M.  Kimball,  twelve  years ; 
Byron  E.  Kimball,  eight  years;  Sarah  S.  Kimball,  six  years; 
Aimee  A.  Kimball,  one  year,  from  La  Porte,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Elam  Young;  Mrs.  Irene  Young;  Daniel  Young,  twen- 
ty-one years;  John  Q.  A.  Young,  nineteen  years,  from  Osage 
County,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Josiah  Osborne;  Mrs.  Marguerite  Osborne;  Nancy 
A.  Osborne,  nine  years;  John  L.  Osborne,  nine  years;  Alex- 
ander A.  Osborne,  two  years,  from  Henderson  County,  Illinois. 

Mrs.  Sally  A.  Canfield;  Ellen  Canfield,  sixteen  years;  Os- 
car Canfield,  nine  years;  Clarissa  Canfield,  seven  years;  Syl- 
via A.  Canfield,  five  years;  Albert  Canfield,  three  years,  from 
Mahaska  County,  Iowa. 

Miss  Marv  E.  Marsh ;   Miss  Lorinda  Bewlev. 

Soon  after  receiving  the  news  of  the  massacre  Governor 
Douglas  sent  word  to  Governor  Abernethy  of  Oregon,  at  Ore- 
gon City,  who  immediately  transmitted  the  same  in  a  special 
message  to  the  Legislature,  which  was  then  in  session  at  that 
place.  They  quickly  took  measures  to  raise  volunteers.  About 
four  hundred  men  were  enlisted  under  Colonel  C.  Gilliam,  who 
proceeded  to  the  scene  of  war.  A  battle  was  fought  near  the 
Umatilla,  in  which  the  Indians  were  routed,  and  the  volun- 
teers  marched  to  the   Walla   Walla   Valley,   and   built   Fort 


The  Massacre  289 

Waters,  where  Dr.  Whitman's  mission  had  been.  They  pur- 
sued the  Indians  north  of  Snake  River,  but  failed  to  secure 
the  murderers.  As  the  details  of  the  war  belong  more  prop- 
erly to  the  history  of  Oregon  than  to  the  life  of  Dr.  Whitman, 
and  have  been  given  in  Mrs.  Victor's  River  of  the  West,  Gray's 
History  of  Oregon,  and  Gilbert's  Historic  Sketches,  they  need 
not  be  repeated  here. 

On  account  of  the  massacre  Colonel  Joseph  Meek  was  sent 
to  Washington  overland  to  urge  strenuously,  and  to  secure,  if 
possible,  a  territorial  form  of  government  and  United  States 
protection  for  Oregon.  Judge  Thornton  had,  a  short  time 
previous,  gone  for  the  same  purpose  by  water,  at  Dr.  Whit- 
man's earnest  request.  The  two  men  worked  together,  though 
in  different  ways.  Congressional  action  for  Oregon,  which 
previous  to  this  had  slowly  dragged  along  on  account  of  the 
slavery  question,  was  hastened,  a  territorial  government  was 
organized,  and  General  Joseph  Lane  appointed  governor.  He 
arrived  in  Oregon  in  1849,  and  immediately  proceeded  to  se- 
cure the  murderers  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  the  others.  With  the 
help  of  a  United  States  regiment  and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany, and  especially  of  Dr.  John  McLoughlin,  he  succeeded, 
without  a  war,  in  having  five  of  the  guilty  ones  brought  in — 
Tilaukait,  Tamahas,  Quiahmarsum,  Kloakamus  and  Siahsalu- 
cus.     These  were  tried  in  May,  1850,  and  hung  at  Oregon  City. 

"Tell  my  sisters  that  I  died  at  my  post,"  are  reported  to 
have  been  the  last  words  of  Mrs.  Whitman,  though  Mrs.  C.  S. 
Fringle  is  certain  that  she  did  not  say  them,  and  she  is  un- 
doubtedly correct.  The  following  lines,  founded  on  these 
words,  have  been  found  among  Mr.  Spalding's  papers: 

"Away  from  her  home  and  the  friends  of  her  youth 
She  hastened,  the  herald  of  mercy  and  truth, 
For  the  love  of  the  Lord,  and  to  seek  for  the  lost; 
Soon,  alas!  was  her  fall,  but  she  died  at  her  post. 

She  wept  not  for  self,  that  her  warfare  was  done; 
The  battle  was  fought  and  the  victory  won  ; 
But  she  whispered  to  those  that  her  heart  clung  to  most, 
'Tell  my  sisters  for  me  that  I  died  at  my  post.'  " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


MONUMENTS. 


Some  time  after  the  massacre  the  mission  buildings  were 
burned  and  the  orchard  destroyed.  Indian  wars  broke  out, 
and  for  years  the  land  lay  desolate,  only  the  great  grave  mark- 
ing the  site  of  the  mission. 

The  first  plan  to  erect  a  monument  in  commemoration  of 
the  life  and  death  of  Dr.  Whitman  was  made  by  his  fellow 
laborer  in  the  mission  work,  Rev.  Cushing  Eells.  After  the 
Whitman  massacre  and  Cayuse  war  in  1848,  that  part  of  Ore- 
gon east  of  the  Cascade  mountains  had  been  closed  to  white 
settlers,  by  military  proclamation,  for  the  infant  government 
of  Oregon  realized  that  it  was  not  able  to  protect  them,  if 
they  should  go  there.  Not  until  after  the  Yakima  war  of 
1855-6,  and  Colonel  Wright's  campaign  in  1858,  was  this  em- 
bargo removed.  Then  in  1859,  by  military  proclamation,  that 
region  of  the  country  was  opened  again  to  the  whites.  After 
the  breaking  up  of  the  missions,  Messrs.  Eells  and  Walker 
were  given  a  power  of  attorney  by  the  American  Board  to  at- 
tend to  all  of  its  business  in  Oregon,  there  being  considerable 
of  it  in  connection  with  closing  its  mission.1  Mr.  Eells  never 
felt  that  his  home  was  to  be  permanently  in  the  Willamette 
Valley,  although  he  was  compelled  to  stay  there  for  several 
years,  but  all  of  the  time  he  turned  his  eyes  longingly  to  the 
country  east  of  the  Cascades,  as  the  region  to  which  his  life 
was  consecrated.  In  1859,  when  that  country  was  thrown 
open  again  to  settlement,  he  was  Principal  of  Tualatin  Acad- 
emy at  Forest  Grove,  Oregon.  Knowing  that  a  few  white  set- 
tlers had  already  gone  into  the  Walla  Walla  Valley,  and  be- 
lieving that  it  would  be  quickly  settled,  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty 
to  go  there  and  mark  off  with  stakes  the  mission  claim  of  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  so  that  others  would  not  trespass 

1  By  a  mistake  in  the  power  of  attorney,  Mr.  Walker's  name  was 
writen  William,  instead  of  Elkanah,  Rev.  William  Walker  having 
been  the  name  of  another  missionary  of  the  Board.  As  the  power  of 
attorney  gave  authority  to  either  or  both  of  the  gentlemen  to  transact 
its  business,  Mr.  Eells  always  did  it,  in  legal  form,  although  he  con- 
sulted with  Mr.  Walker  in  regard  to  it  when  it  was  possible. 


REV.    (ISHIX1    EELLS 


REV.    BLKANAH    \\  \l.Ki:i£ 


Monuments  291 

on  it.  He  spent  his  summer  vacation  of  1859  on  this  busi- 
ness. While  there  he  stood  by  the  great  Whitman  grave,  which 
contained  the  remains  of  eleven  persons,  the  others  massacred 
having  been  buried  elsewhere.  He  thought  of  what  Dr.  Whit- 
man had  done  for  the  Indians  and  to  save  the  country,  and  of 
his  death.  The  past,  present  and  future  came  to  his  mind. 
He  afterwards  said  that  he  believed  that  the  power  of  the  High- 
est then  came  upon  him.  He  felt  that  something  ought  to  be 
done  in  honor  of  the  martyrs,  and  that  much  as  a  monument  of 
stone  would  be  desirable,  yet  that,  if  Dr.  Whitman  could  be 
consulted,  he  would  prefer  that  it  be  a  high  school  for  the 
benefit  of  both  sexes.  He  had  thought  of  it  before,  but  then 
and  there  he  determined  to  do  what  he  could  for  this  object. 
After  he  had  returned  home,  he  consulted  with  his  friends,  and 
especially  with  the  Congregational  Association  of  Oregon.  His 
purpose  was  approved.  That  winter  a  charter  was  obtained 
from  the  Legislature  of  Washington  Territory  for  Whitman 
Seminary.  Mr.  Eells  also  gave  the  needful  three  months'  no- 
tice to  the  Trustees  of  Tualatin  Academy  of  his  desire  to  resign, 
to  take  effect  about  the  first  of  March,  1860.  Then,  having 
agreed  to  buy  the  mission  claim  of  the  Board,  he  went  to  Walla 
Walla  with  his  oldest  son,  and  spent  the  season  of  1860  on 
the  claim,  farming  and  preaching  in  order  to  obtain  money 
enough  to  pay  for  the  place, — a  thousand  dollars. 

Late  in  the  fall  they  returned  to  Forest  Grove,  but  spent  the 
next  summer  in  much  the  same  way.  In  1862  he  moved  the 
rest  of  his  family  to  the  claim.  He  promised  to  give  one-half 
of  the  place  to  the  Seminary,  but  the  way  did  not  at  first  open 
to  proceed  with  the  work  of  establishing  the  school.  Dr.  Eells' 
first  plan  was  to  have  the  Seminary  located  on  the  old  mission 
ground,  where  it  would  overlook  the  grave  and  scenes  of  the 
Doctor's  labors,  and  he  could  not  easily  give  up  this  plan ;  but 
the  city  of  Walla  Walla  had  sprung  up  six  miles  distant,  and  it 
seemed  best  to  the  Trustees  that  the  school  be  located  there. 
Dr.  D.  S.  Baker  gave  four  acres  for  a  site,  at  first  on  certain 
conditions,  but  afterwards  he  made  it  six  and  a  half  acres, 
without  conditions.  In  1866  the  first  building  was  erected;  it 
was  dedicated  October  13th,  and  on  October  15th  the  school 
w;ix  opened,   with   Rev.   P.   B.  Chamberlain  as  principal  and 


292  Marcus  Whitman 

Miss  M.  A.  Hodgdon  and  Miss  E.  W.  Sylvester  as  assistants. 
In  his  dedicatory  address  Mr.  Chamberlain  spoke  of  monu- 
ments in  general,  and  of  the  life  and  labors  of  Dr.  Whitman 
and  of  his  trip  East  in  1842-3. 

He  said:  "It  is  not  necessary  for  me  on  this  occasion  to 
speak  at  length  of  the  character  and  life  of  Dr.  Whitman,  to 
whose  memory  this  seminary  is  more  especially  consecrated, 
since  two  of  his  co-laborers  have  so  recently  and  so  ably  by 
their  addresses  and  their  writings  presented  the  subject  to 
large  numbers  of  this  people,  and  have  shown  most  fully  what 
it  would  be  easy  for  me  to  show  from  their  data,  that  he  was  a 
man  of  such  marked  character  and  so  eminent  in  all  relations 
of  life  which  he  occupied  as  to  render  his  memory  worthy  of 
being  cherished  and  commemorated  by  all  true  and  noble  men. 
That  as  a  Christian,  and  especially  as  the  pioneer  missionary 
to  this  then  wild  and  heathen  land  who  nobly  did  his  work 
and  at  last  'died  as  a  hero — fell  at  his  post,'  he  has  claims 
upon  the  heart  and  the  memories  of  all  Christians  which  no 
other  man  can  ever  supersede.  While  his  eminent  and  unpar- 
allelled  services  for  the  country,  in  the  performance  of  which 
he  endured  hardship  indescribable  and  periled  his  life  repeat- 
edly in  a  journey  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  mid-winter, 
practically  alone,  reaching  Washington  City  barely  in  time  to 
prevent,  by  earnest  and  determined  personal  effort  with  Presi- 
dent Tyler,  the  trading  away  of  this  whole  Northwest  country, 
with  all  its  untold  treasure  of  silver  and  gold,  to  Great  Britain 
for  some  comparatively  valueless  interests  about  the  cod  fish- 
eries of  Newfoundland,  must  forever  give  him  the  first  claim 
to  the  gratitude  and  the  honor  of  every  American  who  may 
ever  settle  in  this  region. 

"Other  men  may  arise  who  will  render  great  services  to  this 
part  of  our  country,  but  no  other  man  can  hardly  expect  an- 
other opportunity  of  actually  saving  this  whole  region  to  the 
American  people  as  Dr.  Whitman  so  clearly  did."1 

'The  reader  will  notice  that  this  address,  delivered  on  Octo- 
ber 13th,  1866  (shortly  after  the  time  when  Prof.  Bourne  says  that 
"the  Whitman  legend"  was  invented  by  Mr.  SpaMing),  assumes  that 
its  hearers  are  familiar  with  the  story,  and  does  not  recognize  the 
existence  of  any  doubt   concerning  it. 


Monuments  293 

The  school  met  a  local  need  and  was  well  attended,  many 
of  its  students  becoming  in  later  life  distinguished  citizens  of 
the  Northwest.  Various  principals  took  charge  of  it,  and  it 
struggled  along  without  endowment  or  financial  aid  for  sixteen 
rears.  In  1882,  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Dr.  George  H. 
Atkinson,  the  trustees  ventured  to  enlarge  its  scope  and  elected 
to  its  presidency  Alexander  Jay  Anderson,  Ph.  D.,  at  that  time 
president  of  the  Territorial  University  at  Seattle.  The  courses 
of  study  were  immediately  broadened  and  the  standard  of 
scholarship  raised.  In  1883  the  Legislature  granted  the  insti- 
tution a  new  charter,  under  the  name  of  "Whitman  College." 

In  order  to  secure  financial  aid,  Mr.  Eells  visited  New  Eng- 
land at  his  own  expense,  and  secured  gifts  for  the  College 
amounting  to  more  than  twelve  thousand  dollars.  The  Amer- 
ican College  and  Educational  Society  of  Boston  placed  it  upon 
the  list  of  its  beneficiaries,  and  gave  it  yearly  aid  until  1896, 
when  an  endowment  of  $200,000  was  secured,  one  quarter  of 
which  was  given  by  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons  of  Chicago  and  the 
balance  mainly  by  the  people  of  Walla  Walla  and  New  Eng- 
land. At  the  present  time  the  College  owns  a  beautiful  campus 
of  twenty-seven  acres,  four  substantial  buildings  of  brick  and 
stone,  and  has  a  library  of  nearly  fifteen  thousand  volumes. 
Its  faculty  numbers  thirty,  and  its  student-body  about  four 
hundred.  Its  total  property  is  valued  at  $700,000.  Its  admin- 
istration building,  costing  $53,000,  was  given  by  Dr.  Pearsons 
in  honor  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman.1 

1 2 )  Whitman  County.  October  16,  1871,  W.  P.  Winans,  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  of  Washington  from  Stevens  County, 
presented  a  petition  to  the  House,  signed  by  II.  S.  Burlinghame 
and  ninety-six  others,  praying  for  a  division  of  the  county,  and 


1  Since  the  death  of  the  writer,  who  succeeded  his  father  as  a  Trus- 
tee of  Whitman  College  in  1893,  the  plans  for  the  development  of  the 
institution  have  been  greatly  broadened.  Sixty  of  the  most  influen- 
tial and  representative  men  of  Oregon,  Washington  and  Idaho  have 
associated  themselves  together  as  its  Board  of  Overseers,  and  have 
assumed  the  responsibility  for  its  educational  and  financial  policy. 
Their  intention  is  that  it  shall  be  made  a  great  central  interdenomina- 
tional college  for  the  entire  Pacific  Northwest,  standing  for  the  high- 
est ideals  of  character  and  scholarship. 


294  Marcus  Whitman 

for  the  organization  of  another.  This  was  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Counties.  On  November  lGth  this  committee, 
having  considered  it,  returned  it  with  a  bill,  and  recommended 
its  passage,  with  the  name  of  Whitman  County.  The  bill  was 
known  as  House  Bill  Number  97.  It  passed  the  House  Novem- 
ber 23,  the  Council  November  24,  and  on  the  29th,  which  was 
the  anniversary  of  the  Whitman  massacre,  was  approved  by 
the  Governor,  E.  S.  Salomon,  and  the  new  county  was  organ- 
ized. Mr.  Winans  is  inclined  to  divide  the  credit  of  the  name 
with  Rev.  Gushing  Eells.  In  regard  to  this,  under  date  of  June 
27th,  1901,  he  wrote:  "I  think  your  father  is  entitled  to  the 
credit.  I  do  not  recollect  that  he  requested  me  at  the  organ- 
ization to  call  it  Whitman;  but  as  I  had  had  frequent  talks 
with  him  about  the  early  missionary  work,  and  his  life  here,  I 
was  impressed  that  the  proper  thing  to  do  to  keep  his  name  in 
remembrance  was  to  call  the  county  Whitman."   . 

(3)  Monument  of  Stone.  While  all  this  had  been  done, 
yet  there  were  many  who  felt  that  a  monument  of  stone  ought 
to  be  erected  in  commemoration  of  the  martyrs. 

In  1869-70,  through  the  efforts  of  Edwin  Eells,  then  enroll- 
ing clerk  of  the  Legislature  of  Washington,  a  bill  was  intro- 
duced by  Hon.  J.  H.  Lasater  of  Walla  Walla,  memorializing 
Congress  to  erect  a  monument  in  honor  of  Dr.  Whitman,  but 
this  failed  to  pass. 

Another  effort  was  made  by  the  Oregon  Pioneer  and  His- 
torical Society,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Astoria,  February 
21,  1871.  It  was  begun  at  the  suggestion  of  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray, 
another  of  Dr.  Whitman's  co-laborers.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  prepare  an  address  to  the  people  on  the  subject,  and 
to  solicit  subscriptions.  The  Committee  met  in  1876  and  1877. 
A  little  money  was  secured,  nearly  forty  dollars,  but  not  much 
was  really  accomplished.  In  1880  the  Society  renewed  its  ef- 
forts, Mr.  Gray  doing  all  that  he  could  for  it  in  securing  sub- 
scriptions. Mrs.  Gray,  at  her  death  in  1881,  left  a  hundred 
dollars  for  it.  Other  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  about 
two  thousand  dollars  were  obtained,  but  much  of  this  was  not 
to  be  paid  until  the  full  amount  necessary  should  be  secured. 
The  owners  of  the  land  at  that  time  were  willing  to  donate  for 
the  purpose  only  two  acres  of  ground,  where  the  remains  rested, 


Monuments  295 

and  that  on  condition  that  a  sixteen  thousand  dollar  monument 
be  erected  within  five  years  from  1881.  As  this  could  not  be 
done,  the  money  collected,  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  was 
placed  at  interest  in  Ladd  and  Tilton's  bank  in  Portland. 

Efforts  were  made  to  induce  the  people  of  Walla  Walla  to 
take  up  the  matter,  and  in  April,  1882,  Mr.  Gray  visited  the 
place  for  the  object.  A  meeting  was  held  to  consider  the  sub- 
ject, but  at  that  meeting  the  majority  were  in  favor  of  moving 
the  remains  to  the  Whitman  Seminary  grounds,  where  they 
wished  the  monument  to  be.  To  this  Mr.  Gray  objected.  Reso- 
lutions were  passed  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  secure 
the  money,  but  nothing  further  seems  to  have  been  accom- 
plished. The  matter  then  slumbered,  and  Mr.  Gray  died  with- 
out accomplishing  what  he  so  much  desired. 

In  1889  the  Whitman  Historical  Society,  whose  headquar- 
ters were  at  Walla  Walla,  took  u\)  the  matter,  and  the  general 
desire  was  to  remove  the  remains  to  the  Whitman  College 
grounds.  It  was  felt,  however,  that  in  order  to  do  this,  accord- 
ing to  law,  the  consent  of  all  the  heirs  of  those  buried  there 
must  be  obtained.  Rev.  M.  Eells  was  appointed  a  committee  to 
see  if  this  could  be  done,  and  he  wrote  to  all  whose  residence  he 
could  learn.  All  agreed  willingly,  except  Mrs.  M.  J.  Delaney, 
one  of  Dr.  Whitman's  adopted  children,  who  said  she  never 
would  give  her  consent;  so  the  matter  rested. 

During  all  this  time  the  grave  was  cared  for  more  or  less 
properly.  In  1859,  when  Rev.  C.  Eells  first  visited  it  on  his 
return  to  Eastern  Washington,  he  could  barely  distinguish  it, 
from  his  memory  of  it  eleven  years  previous,  because  the  ground 
was  sunken  a  little  lower  than  that  around  it.  In  18G0  he  set 
a  few  posts  around  it,  and  fastened  a  few  rails  on  them.  In 
18G3  Myron  Eells  dug  a  trench  around  it,  throwing  the  dirt 
on  to  it,  thus  forming  a  mound.  In  doing  so,  he  struck  the 
wagon  beds  which  the  Oregon  Volunteers  had  placed  over  I  he 
remains.  He  also  built  a  board  fence  around  it.  In  the  course 
of  years  this  fell  down,  and  for  a  time  the  grave  looked  very 
neglected.  In  1885,  under  the  direction  of  President  A.  J. 
Anderson  of  Whitman  College,  a  picket  fence  was  built  around 
it,  which,  with  a  little  repair,  lasted  until  1897.    The  students 


296  Marcus  Whitman 

of  the  College  gave  some  of  the  money,  collected  more,  thirty 
or  forty  dollars  in  all,  did  most  of  the  work,  and  were  enthus- 
iastic in  regard  to  it. 

In  March,  1S97,  the  Whitman  Monument  Association  was 
formed,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  G.  H.  Himes  and  Dr.  C. 
C.  Strong,  of  Portland.  Hon.  H.  W.  Corbett,  of  Portland,  was 
President  of  this;  Hon.  L.  A.  Hinman,  of  Forest  Grove,  Ore- 
gon ;  Hon.  Levi  Ankeny,  of  Walla  Walla,  Washington ;  and  C. 
Monteith,  of  Lewiston,  Idaho,  Vice-Presidents;  G.  H.  Himes, 
of  Portland,  Secretary;  and  W.  M.  Ladd,  of  Portland,  Trea- 
surer. The  managing  committee  was  Dr.  C.  C.  Strong,  G.  H. 
Dimes,  and  Dr.  W.  S.  Holt,  of  Portland.  The  Executive  Com- 
mittee was  composed  of  five  members  from  Oregon,  five  from 
Washington,  and  one  from  Idaho.  The  aim  of  this  Association 
was  simply  to  carry  out  the  plans  of  Mr.  Graj,  and  to  him 
they  give  all  the  credit.  This  Association  obtained  the  money 
before  secured  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Gray,  and  some  more. 

It  then  built  a  mausoleum,  encased  in  Vermont  marble, 
over  the  remains,  where  they  had  been  for  fifty  years.  Sur- 
mounting this  is  a  slab  of  polished  marble,  eleven  by  five  and 
a  half  feet,  and  four  inches  thick.  On  it  are  carved  the  names 
of  all  the  slain,  and  the  time  of  their  death.  An  iron  fence 
encloses  this  grave. 

Back  of  the  grave  is  a  hill  about  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  high.  On  a  point  on  this  knoll,  overlooking  the  sur- 
rounding country,  was  placed  a  monument  shaft  of  Vermont 
marble.  This  is  eighteen  feet  high,  two  feet  square  at  the  base, 
and  slightly  tapering  to  the  top.  Including  the  whole  founda- 
tion, it  is  twenty-six  feet  and  eleven  inches  high.  The  Associ- 
ation bought  seven  acres  of  land  at  thirty  dollars  an  acre. 
The  cost  of  the  stone  work,  mausoleum  and  monument  was 
twentv-two  hundred  and  fiftv  dollars;  of  seven  acres  of  land 
at  thirty  dollars  an  acre,  two  hundred  and  ten ;  and  about 
forty  dollars  were  used  in  other  ways,  making  a  total  of  about 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars. 

The  following  invitations  were  sent  out,  one  by  Whitman 
College,  and  the  other  by  the  Whitman  Monument  Association : 


S3-   ■ 


,■--■'■ 


'&£-•  - 


-"v. 


P^ 


" 


_1 


THK   WHITMAN    (iKAVE   IN   1858 


Tin;  GRAVE  today 


Monuments  297 

"1847-1897. 

The  Board  of  Trustees 

of 

Whitman  College 

Request  the  honor  of  your  presence  at  public  exer- 
cises in  commemoration  of  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary 
of  the  Whitman  Massacre,  to  be  held  at  the  Opera 
House,  Monday  evening,  November  twenty-ninth,  at 
eight  o'clock,  Walla  Walla,  Washington." 

"1847-1897. 

You  are  cordially  invited  to  be  present  at  the  ded- 
ication of  the  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  Mrs.  Narcissa  Prentiss  Whit- 
man, his  wife,  missionaries  of  the  American  Board, 
and  twelve  other  persons  who  were  massacred  by  the 
Cayuse  Indians  on  Monday  and  Tuesday,  November 
29-30,  1847,  at  the  Wai-i-lat-pu  mission,  about  six 
miles  west  of  the  present  city  of  Walla  Walla.  The 
monument  will  be  placed  near  the  site  of  the  massa- 
cre, and  will  be  unveiled  on  Tuesday,  November  thir- 
tieth, eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  at  11  A.  M. 

On  behalf  of  the  Whitman  Monument  Association, 
Incorporated,  Curtis  C.  Strong,  Stephen  B.  L.  Pen- 
rose, George  H.  Himes,  Levi  Ankeny,  W.  S.  Holt, 
J.  H.  D.  Gray,  Committee  on  Invitations.  Address 
all  replies  to  George  H.  Himes,  Secretary  Managing 
Committee,  Portland,  Oregon." 

The  dedicatory  ceremonies  were  in  the  main  carried  out 
as  planned,  but  unfortunately  the  monument  was  sidetracked 
on  the  way  and  did  not  reach  the  place  until  several  weeks 
after  the  ceremonies.  On  the  evening  of  November  29,  the 
opera  house  in  Walla  Walla  was  packed  with  the  greatest 
crowd  ever  gathered  under  one  roof  in  that  city.  Indian  war 
veterans  and  members  of  the  Grand  Army  were  present  in  a 
body;  the  President,  Professors  and  students  of  Whitman  Col- 
lege were  also  accorded  prominent  places,  and  eight  survivors 
of  the  massacre  were  there.  These  were  Mrs.  Catherine  (Sa- 
ger)  Pringle,  Mrs.  Matilda  (Sager)  Delaney,  Mrs.  E.  M.  (Sa- 
ger)  Helm,  Mrs.  N.  A.  (Osborne)  Jacobs,  Mrs.  Susan  (Kim- 
ball) Wirt,  Mrs.  Sophia  (Kimball)  Mnnson,  Mrs.  Nina  A. 
(Kimball)  Megler,  and  Byron  S.  Kimball. 


298  Marcus  Whitman 

The  Whitman  memorial  chorus  of  sixty  voices  sang  Gou- 
nod's "Send  Out  Thy  Light;"  the  Scripture  was  read  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Greene,  whose  father,  Rev.  David  Greene,  as  Secretary 
of  the  American  Board,  had  signed  the  commissions  of  Marcus 
Whitman  and  his  associate  missionaries  in  1836  and  1838. 
Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  H.  P.  James,  representing  the  Col- 
lege Trustees.  A  poem,  written  by  a  distinguished  editor,  who 
wished  his  name  withheld,  was  read  by  Prof.  O.  A.  Hauerbach, 
and  an  address  was  delivered  by  Rev.  L.  H.  Hallock,  D.  D.,  of 
California.1  After  this  Mrs.  Hallock  sang  "My  Redeemer 
Liveth,"  by  Dudley  Buck.  A  letter  from  Hon.  P.  B.  Whit- 
man, an  invalid,  was  read  by  his  grandson,  Marcus  Whitman 
Barnett,  who  also  made  a  short  address,  and  gave  to  President 
Penrose,  for  Whitman  College,  a  lock  of  Mrs.  Whitman's  hair, 
a  present  from  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  P.  B.  Whitman.  The 
congregation  joined  in  singing,  "O  God,  beneath  whose  guid- 
ing hand  our  exiled  fathers  crossed  the  sea,"  and  the  exer- 
cises closed  with  the  benediction  by  President  Penrose. 

The  next  morning  fully  two  thousand  people  repaired  to 
the  grave,  where  Dr.  N.  G.  Blalock,  President  of  the  Trustees 
of  Whitman  College,  pointed  out  the  various  places  of  inter- 
est, Rev.  S.  Greene  offered  the  dedicatory  prayer,  choice  flowers 
were  laid  on  the  grave,  and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  the  oldest  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  adopted  children,  spoke  as  follows,  moving 
many  to  tears: 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  WTalla  Walla :  I  cannot  express 
to  you  the  feelings  of  my  sisters,  myself,  and  these  survivors 
as  we  view  this  scene.  Fifty  years  ago  yesterday  morning  the 
sun  rose  yonder  on  a  happy  home  and  all  the  busy  bustle  of 
life.  The  sun  went  down  on  a  scene  of  death  and  desolation — 
of  weeping  and  wailing.  Fifty  years  ago  today  we  went  as 
prisoners  of  a  savage  band  of  Indians — no  hope  of  escape — all 
dark  and  despair.  But  Providence  made  a  way  of  escape,  and 
we  stand  here  today.  We  desire  to  thank  the  people  of  Walla 
Walla  and  the  Northwest  for  their  presence  here,  for  their 
kindness  in  burying  our  dead,  and  for  their  royal  entertain- 

1  For  this  see  "Whitman  College  Quarterly,"  December,  1897. 


Monuments  299 

merit.  We  desire  also  to  thank  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navi- 
gation Company  for  the  generosity  that  enables  us  to  be  here, 
and  to  see  the  dream  of  many  years  consummated.  These  acts 
of  kindness  will  be  told  to  our  children's  children,  and  be  car- 
ried down  to  the  future  generations  in  grateful  remembrance, 
as  each  recurring  anniversary  passes." 

On  account  of  the  weather  it  was  not  thought  best  to  hold 
further  exercises  at  the  grave,  consequently  the  people  returned 
to  the  opera  house,  where  Rev.  J.  R.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  of  Port- 
land, representing  the  Whitman  Monument  Association,  de- 
livered an  oration.1  The  Fourth  Cavalry  Band  furnished  the 
music,  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Schudder,  of  Tacoma,  a  representative 
of  the  American  Board,  also  made  an  address.  Letters  were 
read  from  prominent  persons  of  the  United  States  expressing 
their  regrets  at  not  being  able  to  be  present,  and  one  from 
James  Hayes,  a  Nez  Perces  Indian,  enclosing  $25.50  from  the 
Nez  Perces  Indians  of  the  church  at  Kamiah  for  the  monument. 
The  congregation  sang  "America,"  and  the  exercises  closed 
with  the  benediction. 

The  monument  was  afterwards  received  and  put  in  place, 
the  final  ceremonies  being  held  at  the  grave. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Whitman  massacre  was  also 
commemorated  at  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  the  City 
of  Washington  on  the  evening  of  December  5,  1897,  the  Sab- 
bath following  the  anniversary.  Justice  David  B.  Brewer  of 
the  United  States  Supreme  Court  presided,  and  the  speakers 
were  Judge  Brewer,  Senator  John  L.  Wilson,  of  the  State  of 
Washington ;  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard,  long  a  resident  of  the  Pacific 
Coast;  and  Dr.  S.  M.  Newman,  pastor  of  the  church.  It  was  a 
devotional  recognition  of  the  Providence  of  God  in  using  Dr. 
Whitman  for  certain  great  ends. 

(4)  Statue  at  Philadelphia.  When  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath  School  Work  erected  the 
Witherspoon  building,  which  is  their  home,  1319  Walnut  Street, 
Philadelphia,  statues  of  three  different  persons  were  placed 

1  For  this  see  "Whitman  College  Quarterly,"  December,  1897. 


300  Marcus  Whitman 

over  the  entrances  to  the  building,  and  Dr.  Whitman's  was 
one  of  them.     This  building  was  dedicated  October  24,  1896.1 

"But  there  was  one  who  came  in  peace  and  zeal, 
To  lift  the  cross  and  guide  the  conquering  wheel, 
His  sword  the  flaming  truth,  his  sign  the  cross, 
He  counted  all  but  faith  as  empty  dross; 
Fair  was  that  noble  form,  and  fairer  e'en  his  bride, 
Whitman,  who  dared  for  Oregon  to  ride, 
Who  saved  an  empire,  and  a  martyr  died."2 

1  See  Frontispiece. 

8  From  an  anonymous  poem  read  at  the  dedication  of  the  Whitman 
monument,  "Whitman  College  Quarterly,"  December,  1897,  page  52. 


*TW*'tf9t 


MMf>] 


THE  WHITMAN  MONUMENT   AT   WAIILATPU 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


RESULTS CONCLUSION. 


Besides  the  missionary  work  which  Dr.  Whitman  and  his 
wife  accomplished,  which  in  the  light  of  eternity  was  by  no 
means  a  failure,  three  events  stand  out  very  prominently  in 
this  history:  The  bringing  of  the  wagon  to  Fort  Boise  in 
183G ;  the  crossing  of  the  Continent  by  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mrs. 
Spalding  in  the  same  year;  and  Dr.  Whitman's  journey  East 
in  1842-3  and  his  bringing  back  of  the  emigration  of  1843. 

(1)  To  Dr.  Whitman  must  be  given  the  credit  of  opening 
the  wagon  road  into  Oregon.  William  Sublette,  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Company,  had  brought  wagons  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  in  1829,  "to  the  head  of  Wind  River,  where  it  issues 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains,"  that  being  a  part  of  the  head 
waters  of  the  Missouri.  Bonneville  in  3832  had  brought  his 
wagons  to  Green  River,  the  place  of  rendezvous,  but  no  further, 
because  "the  nature  of  the  country  through  which  he  was  about 
to  travel  rendered  it  impossible  to  proceed  with  wagons." 1 
Dr.  Whitman's  perseverance  proved  the  practicability  of  the 
wagon  road  to  Fort  Boise,  about  five  hundred  and  seventy-five 
miles  farther.  This  was  the  first  wagon  ever  brought  to  the 
waters  that  flow  into  the  Columbia  or  west  of  the  present 
eastern  boundary  of  Idaho. 

Says  Professor  Thomas  Condon :  "It  was  the  track  of 
Dr.  Whitman's  cart  that  grew  into  the  track  of  the  great  wagon 
train  of  1843  and  tbe  still  greater  one  of  1847.  It  was  this 
great  one  of  1847  that  grew  into  the  track  of  the  pony  of  later 
years;  and  it  was  the  varyings  of  the. pony  express  thai  de- 
veloped into  the  four  great  trunk  railroads  of  today.  That  is, 
to  state  the  proposition  in  its  extreme  terms,  it  is  the  broken 

Bonneville's   "Adventures,"   G.    P.    Putnam's   edition   of    1878,    pp. 
76,  109. 


302  Marcus  Whitman 

cart  track  over  which  these  two  women  toiled  in  1836  that  has 
grown  into  the  cosmic  system  of  railroads.  Surely  here  is 
growth  worthy  of  the  nineteenth  century."  * 

Mention  ought,  however,  to  be  made  that  Dr.  Robert  New- 
ell, F.  Ermatinger,  and  J.  L.  Meek  in  1840  brought  from  Fort 
Hall  the  running  gear  of  three  wagons  brought  by  Rev.  Harvey 
Clarke  and  party  to  that  fort.  When  they  arrived  at  Dr. 
Whitman's,  Dr.  Newell  expressed  his  regret  that  he  had  ever 
undertaken  the  job,  but  Dr.  Whitman  replied,  "Oh,  you  will 
never  regret  it;  you  have  broken  the  ice,  and  when  others  see 
that  wagons  have  passed,  they,  too,  will  pass,  and  in  a  few 
years  the  valley  will  be  full  of  our  people." 2  While  the  immi- 
grants in  1841  and  1842  did  not  follow  Dr.  Newell's  track, 
yet  the  fact  that  Dr.  Whitman  knew  that  these  wagons  had 
been  brought  to  his  station  undoubtedly  was  of  great  use  to 
him  three  years  later. 

Dr.  William  Barrows,  in  his  Oregon,  has  honored  Whit- 
man's old  wagon  with  a  separate  chapter,  as  one  great  means 
of  carrying  civilization  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  beginning  it  with 
the  words,  "The  Oregon  question  finally  turned  on  wheels." 

(2)  The  crossing  of  the  continent  by  Mrs.  Spalding  and 
Mrs.  Whitman,  the  first  white  women  to  do  so,  was  also  an 
event  fraught  with  great  results.  The  story  of  the  difficulties 
connected  with  their  journey  has  been  given  in  Chapter  Two. 
It  was  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  Oregon — a  little  thing  in  it- 
self, but  like  Dr.  Whitman's  wagon,  a  seed  sown  which  became 
a  great  tree  that  covered  the  Northwestern  Coast.  It  meant 
American  civilization,  and  Christian  homes  and  families.  Pre- 
vious to  this  time  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  been  mon- 
archs  of  all  they  surveyed.  Eleven  American  fur  companies 
had  tried  to  obtain  a  foothold  in  the  country,  but  had  been 
driven  out  by  the  monopoly;  but  when  a  mountain  man  saw 
those  women,  he  said,  "There  is  something  the  Honorable  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  cannot  drive  out  of  this  country,"  and  his 
prophecy  was  true.  Hence,  it  was  not  strange  that  Hon.  El- 
wood  Evans  wrote  to  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding:      "The  American 

Address  before  the  Oregon  Pioneer  Association  in  their  "Trans- 
actions for  1888,"  p.  28. 

3  "History  of  Pacific  Northwest,"  vol.  1,  p.  220. 


Results  303 

missionaries  were  the  apostles  paving  the  way  for  American 
occupancy;  nor  need  you  fear  that  the  missionary  heroines 
who  proved  that  women  could  go  to  Oregon,  and  live  and  die 
there,  will  ever  be  forgotten." 

But  earlier  than  any  of  these  are  the  words  of  one  who 
signs  his  name  "An  Oregonian,"  and  who  published  an  article 
in  the  Oregon  Spectator,  May  14,  18IG.  After  giving  an  ac- 
count of  the  cause  of  the  early  Indian  missions,  which  he  at- 
tributes to  the  visit  of  the  two  Indians  to  St.  Louis,  and  the 
coming  to  Oregon  of  the  first  missionaries  both  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  and  the  American  Board,  he  says :  "It 
is  due  to  Mrs.  Spalding  and  Mrs.  Whitman  to  state  that  they 
were  the  first  white  females  that  ventured  to  try  the  perils  of 
a  journey  across  the  mountains  which  at  that  time  was  con- 
sidered presumptuous  in  the  extreme,  and  doubtless  had  con- 
tributed to  expel  the  fears  and  remove  the  dread  of  a  passage 
from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Columbia  more  than  all  other  ad- 
ventures. Having  traveled  somewhat  extensively  in  the  United 
States  before  this  experiment  was  made,  and  after  it  was  ac- 
complished, and  having  been  an  eye  witness,  I  have  no  fears 
in  venturing  the  assertion  that  the  simple  act  of  those  two  fe- 
males, sustained  by  others  who  have  followed  them  on  a  simi- 
lar enterprise,  has  contributed  more  to  the  present  occupancy 
of  Oregon,  than  all  the  fine-spun  speeches  and  high-sounding 
words  that  have  yet  issued  from  the  executive  branch  at  Wash- 
ington." 

Mr.  Spalding  well  says,  "Too  much  praise  cannot  be  award- 
ed to  that  great  and  good  pioneer  missionary,  Lee,  and  the  self- 
denying  lady  missionaries,  who  by  a  sea  voyage  around  Cape 
Horn,  came  early  to  his  assistance  in  establishing  his  mission 
to  the  Indian  tribes  on  this  coast.  This  mission  of  the  Metho- 
dist Board,  wbile  it  brought  to  the  Indian  tribes  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness,  became  the  nucleus  of  the  first  American  colony 
on  the  Pacific,  and  gave  a  hearty  Christian  character  to  the 
provisional  government  of  Oregon,  which  was  organized  nine 
years  after  the  first  missionaries  arrived  in  the  Willamette. 

"But  while  this  is  admitted  with  satisfaction,  it  must  be 
granted  by  all  that  the  overland  emigrant  route  was  the  es- 
sential element,  the  promoting  cause  of  the  settlement  of  the 


304  Marcus  Whitman 

Coast  by  American  settlers.  But  this  route  owes  its  existence 
in  the  first  place  to  Mrs.  Spalding  and  Mrs.  Whitman,  and  in 
the  second  place  to  the  personal  sufferings  and  hazards  of  the 
Doctor  in  the  mountains  in  the  winter  of  1842-3."  He  also 
adds:  "This  passage  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  by  these  two 
women,  is  on  many  accounts  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals 
of  our  American  women.  Too  much  praise,  as  I  have  before 
said,  cannot  be  awarded  to  those  self-denying  mothers  of  the 
Methodist  mission,  who  at  the  call  of  their  devoted  leader,  the 
pioneer,  Lee,  also  bade  farewell  to  friends  and  sweet  home, 
and  by  a  sea  voyage  around  Cape  Horn  of  twenty-one  thousand 
miles,  came  to  assist  him  in  preaching  Christ  to  the  natives, 
and  in  kindling  the  torch  of  civilization  in  this  Willamette  Val- 
ley. But  they  had  a  friend  at  the  end  of  that  journey,  who 
had  told  them  before  they  started,  by  his  report,  that  they  were 
coming  to  grain  and  bread  in  abundance  at  Vancouver,  and 
merchandise,  and  a  soil  and  climate  favorable  to  civilization. 
None  of  these  important  facts  were  known  to  our  women,  when 
they  made  up  their  minds  to  undertake  the  journey.  The 
mothers  and  wives  on  board  the  Mayflower,  when  they  stopped 
on  the  bleak  shores  of  New  England,  in  the  storms  of  mid- 
winter, had  nothing  but  doubt  and  darkness  before  them ;  but 
they  had  been  driven  from  sweet  home  by  the  hand  of  persecu- 
tion, while  our  ladies  had  cheerfully  sacrificed  home,  even 
against  the  remonstrances  of  friends  and  mountain  men.  The 
seven  missionary  ladies  who  cheerfully  bade  farewell  to  home 
and  friends,  in  1820,  to  seek  by  a  sea  voyage,  of  eighteen  thou- 
sand miles  around  Cape  Horn,  a  home  on  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
to  erect  there  the  standard  of  the  cross,  had  darkness  and 
doubt  before  them,  and  the  perils  of  the  sea  around  them,  but 
they  had  their  daily  food  on  board,  and  they  were  excused 
from  the  wear  and  tear  of  toiling  up  mountains,  through  burn- 
ing sands,  sick  or  well.  The  perils  from  the  savages  and  the 
hardships  and  losses  and  starvations,  attendant  upon  the  over- 
land route,  have  often  been  expressed  by  some  of  the  mothers 
who  have  followed  them  over  this  same  route  from  year  to  year, 
I  have  no  doubt  to  an  extent  equal  to  the  sufferings  of  our 
wives;  but  there  were  certain  features  attached  to  their  jour- 
ney that  never  have  and  never  could  harass  and  eat  into  the 


Results  305 

very  soul  of  any  mother  who  has  followed  them ;  that  in  the 
constant  suspense,  the  burning  and  ever  increasing  uncertainty 
of  everything  before  them,  the  thick  darkness,  and  the  vast  un- 
known into  which  they  were  plunging  deeper  and  deeper  every 
day ;  when  and  where  their  journey  would  end,  whether  among 
friends  or  foes ;  when,  if  ever  they  would  eat  bread  again ; 
where  would  be  the  next  yard  of  cloth  or  clothing;  or  would 
we  have  to  depend  on  the  skins  of  beasts?  And  so  when  our 
ladies  alighted  from  their  worn-out  horses  at  the  end  of  their 
journey  and  stepped  upon  the  banks  of  the  long-sought  Colum- 
bia, and  found  bread  and  fields  of  wheat,  and  merchandise,  and 
Christian  hearts,  and  civilization  begun,  the  thick  darkness 
aud  the  weight  of  uncertainty  came  to  an  end  also,  never  to  be 
felt  by  those  who  might  follow."' 

(3)  The  work  of  Dr.  Whitman  in  1842-3  was  another  event 
so  far-reaching  that  no  one  can  tell  where  the  results  will  end. 
^ays  Rev.  Dr.  Atkinson :  "Having  then  become  involved  in 
the  Mexican  War,  General  Fremont  was  sent  in  1847  to  co- 
operate with  our  Commodore,  and  seize  California,  which  was 
done.  In  the  settlement  with  Mexico  our  government  pur- 
chased the  conquered  province  of  California.  The  connection 
of  events  is  such  as  to  show  that  our  securing  the  actual  pos- 
session of  Oregon  by  emigrants  and  a  provisional  government 
led  to  the  general  survey  and  the  final  conquest  and  purchase 
of  California,  though  sectional  and  sporadic  efforts  had  pre- 
viously been  made  to  secure  this  province.  The  securing  of 
Oregon  preceded  that  of  California  somewhat  as  a  cause  pre- 
cedes an  effect;  the  one  hinges  on  the  other;  after  which  the 
golden  grains  there  concealed  were  uncoverd,  so  that  fifty  mill- 
ions year  after  year  were  added  to  the  world's  currency,  and 
means  provided  to  carry  on  the  national  contest  from  1861 
to  1865."  2 

Again,  Rev.  J.  W.  Rashford,  Ph.  T).,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  says: 
'•It  took  three  years  after  the  Americans  began  pouring  into 
Oregon  by  the  thousand  and  were  outnumbering  the  British 
five  to  one,  to  induce  Great   Britain  to  sign   the  treaty.      No 

^'Oregon  States  Rights  Democrat,"  1867. 
'"Missionary  Herald,"  March,  1867. 


306  Marcus  Whitman 

one  dreams  that  the  boundaries  would  have  been  settled  in 
1846,  had  not  a  thousand  Americans  through  missionary  effort 
reached  Oregon  in  1843.  But  in  less  than  three  years  after 
the  papers  were  signed  by  Great  Britain,  gold  was  discovered 
in  California.  When  the  negotiations  for  our  western  boun- 
daries had  dragged  along  since  1783,  and  Great  Britain  was 
so  loth  to  give  up  her  claims  to  that  territory,  do  you  suppose 
that  had  she  waited  until  gold  had  been  discovered,  and  re- 
ports of  untold  wealth  had  .spread  like  wild-fire — do  you  sup- 
pose that  then  she  would  have  signed  away  her  claims?  But 
tbere  is  another  important  fact  which  made  it  necessary  that 
the  Oregon  question  should  be  settled,  not  only  before  gold 
was  discovered  in  1848,  but  before  1847.  The  southwestern 
part  of  the  United  States,  embracing  part  of  Texas,  and  all  of 
Isew  Mexico  and  of  California,  was  owned  by  Mexico  in  1846. 
A  few  days  before  Great  Britain  signed  the  final  settlement, 
war  had  broken  out  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States. 
Had  this  information  reached  Great  Britain  in  time,  she  would 
at  least  have  delayed  to  sign  the  settlement  of  1846.  Then  in 
our  war  with  Mexico,  Mexico  would  have  been  backed  by  Great 
Britain.  With  intentional  alliance  the  war  would  have  been 
prolonged  until  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California.  This  dis- 
covery would  have  led  Mexico  and  Great  Britain  to  redouble 
their  energies  for  a  share  in  this  western  continent.  How  rap- 
idly these  events  press  upon  each  other!  How  certainly  it 
seems  that  only  the  missionary  settlement  of  Oregon,  which 
resulted  in  the  yielding  of  all  the  claims  by  Great  Britain 
before  she  learned  of  the  Mexican  War,  alone  saved  us  from 
a  great  international  contest,  with  two  powers,  one  of  them 
the  greatest  upon  the  earth!  You  say  we  could  have  waged 
the  war  and  won  against  both  foreign  powers?  Possibly,  but 
the  United  States  could  far  better  afford  to  give  the  Methodist 
Missionary  Society  and  the  American  Board  each  a  million 
dollars  a  year  in  perpetuity  than  to  have  incurred  the  cost  of 
this  gigantic  war,  to  say  nothing  of  its  bloodshed  and  desola- 
tion.    .     .     . 

"But  the  acquisition  by  the  United  States  of  territory  of 
vast  extent  and  boundless  wealth  in  the  West  was  not  the  end 
of  this  missionary  enterprise.     We  sent  our  brothers  out  from 


Results  307 

our  homes  to  bless  others.  They  indirectly  helped  us  to  win 
the  greatest  blessing  for  ourselves.  The  Oregon  and  California 
questions  were  settled  in  our  favor  in  1848,  only  thirteen  years 
before  the  rebellion.  We  were  then  called  upon  to  fight  the 
great  battle  between  freedom  and  slavery.  You  remember  that 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River  the  free  territory  of  the  United 
States  embraced  a  little  over  four  hundred  thousand  square 
miles,  and  the  slave  territory  nearly  five  hundred  thousand 
square  miles. 

"After  crossing  the  Mississippi  River  and  running  through 
Missouri  the  line  embracing  the  slave  population  fell  rapidly 
south.  It  was  the  western  territory  into  which  slaves  had  not 
yet  been  brought  that  restored  the  balance  in  area  to  the  side 
of  freedom  in  this  contest;  and  California,  which  had  been 
acquired  for  the  extension  of  slavery,  was  providentially  set- 
tled by  Northern  enterprise,  and  poured  her  money  and  men 
into  the  Union  side  in  that  gigantic  struggle.  Suppose  that 
this  territory  had  still  been  held  by  foreign  powers,  or  that 
we  had  been  still  battling  for  this  rich  gold  field  against  Great 
Britain  and  Mexico,  and  suppose  that  Mexico  had  been  backed 
by  France  in  the  interest  of  absolution  and  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  as  was  the  case  during  the  rebellion,  do  you  not  see  that 
it  would  have  been,  humanly  speaking,  impossible  to  free  the 
slaves  and  preserve  the  Union? 

"The  Divine  Providence  is  the  key  to  our  national  history. 
The  British  lion  chained  at  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  North 
latitude;  Mexico,  backed  by  France,  rendered  powerless  by  the 
previous  conquest  of  her  Western  territory;  and  California 
pouring  her  gold  and  men  into  the  Union  side  during  the  strug- 
gle for  Freedom,  are  Cod's  providential  way  of  saying  to  a 
missionary  age,  'One  hundred  fold  in  this  world,  and  in  the 
world  to  come,  eternal  life.' 

"Once  more,  while  we  sometimes  entertain  an  undue  preju- 
dice against  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  yet  no  candid  man 
can  doubt  that  the  Protestant  faith  is  far  more  helpful  to  free 
institutions,  and  to  modern  civilization  than  is  (he  faith  of 
Rome.  P.nt  the  contest  in  Oregon  was  a  struggle  between  the 
Jesuit  and  the  Protestant.  Had  not  Jason  Lee  gone  to  Ore- 
gon in   lft.'M,  and  led  out  American  missionaries  and  settlers; 


308  Marcus  Whitman 

had  not  Marcus  Whitman  followed  his  missionary  call  in  1835, 
and  led  out  over  nine  hundred  more  American  settlers  in  1843 ; 
had  not  the  four  or  five  thousand  American  settlers  organized 
a  provisional  government  in  1843,  and  elected  a  Methodist 
missionary  governor,  the  Jesuits,  backed  by  Great  Britain  on 
the  north,  and  by  Mexico  and  France  on  the  south,  would  to- 
day hold  our  western  coast,  and  shape  its  civilization  for  the 
twentieth  century.  A  territory  larger  and  richer  than  the 
Atlantic  seaboard,  saved  to  our  government,  the  whole  Pacific 
slope  thrown  into  the  balance  of  freedom  in  the  greatest  con- 
test of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  civilization  of  the 
richest  part  of  the  globe  started  under  Protestant  auspices  for 
the  twentieth  century,  is  God's  providential  answer  to  the 
faith  of  Jason  and  Daniel  Lee,  and  Marcus  Whitman  and  H. 
H.  Spalding,  and  the  unnamed  heroes  and  heroines  who  died 
for  the  Oregon  mission,  and  whose  bones  rest  in  unknown 
graves  in  the  Valley  of  the  Willamette.  When  the  population 
of  that  golden  coast  rises  to  thirty  millions,  will  not  the  land- 
ing place  of  the  ship  that  sailed  from  Boston  with  Methodist 
missionaries  in  1836  be  the  Plymouth  Rock  of  the  Pacific,  and 
Whitman  Institute  and  Willamette  University  be  their  Har- 
vard and  Yale?  Will  there  not  arise  a  Longfellow  or  a  Bu- 
chanan Read  to  sing  of  a  ride  more  heroic  than  Sheridan's, 
and  of  far  greater  importance  than  that  of  Paul  Revere?  Will 
not  a  spiritual  descendant  of  Mrs.  Hemans  arise  to  sing  of  a 
second  pilgrim  band,  who  left  home  and  native  land  not  for 
freedom  to  worship  God  themselves,  but  to  carry  light  to  those 
who  sat  in  darkness?"1 

In  conclusion,  the  following  testimonials  will  show  an  es- 
timate of  Dr.  Whitman  by  those  who  were  acquainted  with 
him  and  by  those  who  have  studied  him.  Says  Hon.  Archi- 
bald McKinley,  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company:  "He  was  a 
very  superior  man.  His  whole  soul  was  devoted  to  civilizing 
and  Christianizing  the  Indians.  A  true  patriot  withal,  but 
not  the  sort  that  make  fools  of  themselves." 

Says  Hon.  W.  F.  Tolmie,  who,  like  Mr.  McKinley,  belonged 

^'Missionary  Review  of  the  World,"  August,  1888,  pp.  569,  571. 


Results  309 

to  the  Hudson's  Ray  Company:      "With  Mr.  McKinley,  I  re- 
tain my  high  opinion  of  the  noble,  true-hearted  Whitman.'' 

Says  the  Hon.  O.  C.  Pratt:  ''Dr.  Whitman  was  a  grand 
character,  a  leading  man,  and  one  of  great  power  wherever  the 
lines  of  his  life  fell;  and  he  impressed  himself  on  his  con- 
temporaries in  Oregon  in  a  way  never  to  be  forgotten  as  long 
as  any  of  them  may  live." 

Says  United  States  Senator  James  K.  Kelly:  ''While  he 
was  sincere  and  zealous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  mis- 
sionary among  the  Indians,  yet  he  was  all  alive  to  the  im- 
portance of  securing  Oregon  as  an  American  possession  against 
the  claims  of  Great  Britain.  He  was  intensely  American  in 
all  his  feelings ;  a  man  of  indomitable  will  and  preseverance 
in  whatever  he  undertook  to  accomplish;  whom  no  danger 
could  daunt  and  no  hardship  could  deter  from  the  performance 
of  any  act  wThich  he  deemed  it  a  duty  to  discharge.  And  per- 
haps to  Dr.  Whitman,  more  than  any  other  man,  are  the  people 
of  Oregon  indebted  that  we  are  living  under  the  stars  and 
stripes,  instead  of  the  banner  of  St.  George."  * 

Says  John  Arthur  of  the  immigration  of  1843 :  "Too  much 
cannot  be  said  of  Dr.  Whitman's  persistent  activity,  urging 
the  immigrants  to  travel,  travel,  travel,  as  he  said  nothing  else 
would  carry  us  through." 

Says  B.  F.  Nichols,  who  wintered  at  the  Doctor's  station 
1844-5 :  "He  was  one  of  the  most  unassuming  men  I  ever 
met.  You  never  heard  him  going  about  and  telling  anything 
that  he  had  ever  done  or  said  or  anything  of  that  kind;  he 
was  not  that  kind  of  a  man.  He  wras  a  man  that  lived  in  an 
atmosphere  above  ordinary  nonsense.  Though  he  was  always 
genial  and  pleasant,  he  never  indulged  in  raillery  or  anything 
of  that  kind.  He  never  seemed  put  out,  and  was  most  even- 
tempered  under  trying  circumstances." 

And  of  Mrs.  Whitman  he  adds:  ''She  seemed  endowed 
with  a  peculiar  magnetism  when  you  were  in  her  presence  so 
that  you  could  not  help  thinking  yourself  in  the  presence  of  a 
being  much  higher  than  the  ordinary  run  of  humanity.  I 
have  heard  her  pray,  and  she  could  offer  up  the  finest  petition 

^'Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1882,  p.  10. 


310  Marcus  Whitman 

to  the  Throne  of  Grace  of  any  person  I  ever  heard  in  my  life. 
She  was  always  gentle  and  kind  to  the  Indians,  as  she  was  to 
every  one  else.  She  took  an  interest  in  every  one  at  the  mis- 
sion, especially  the  children.  Every  one  loved  her,  because 
to  see  her  was  to  love  her." 1 

Says  Hon.  Jesse  Applegate,  captain  of  the  wagon  train  of 
1843,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  May  29th,  1876: 

"Dr.  Marcus  Whitman.  Oregon  owes  him  much.  He  con- 
tributed more  than  any  to  the  success  of  its  first  great  immi- 
gration, which,  had  it  ended  in  disaster,  might  not  have  been 
again  attempted  for  many  years. 

"But  that  is  not  all.  God  sends  upon  the  earth  not  ten 
such  men  as  Dr.  Whitman  in  a  centurv — heroes  to  lead  in  some 
greatly  needed  reform,  or  martyrs  to  suffer  in  a  righteous 
cause. 

"Circumstances  brought  us  but  a  short  time  together,  but 
in  that  time  I  learned  to  love  him  with  a  love  that  passes  the 
limits  of  the  grave. 

"This  corrupt  age  will,  in  God's  good  time,  pass  away,  and 
men  guided  by  right  and  devoted  to  principle  and  duty,  whether 
they  lead  to  honor  or  censure,  to  wealth  or  poverty,  will  again 
take  the  high  places  in  the  esteem  of  men  as  an  example  for 
them  to  follow.  Let  us  send  down  to  them  the  name  of  Marcus 
Whitman,  who  placed  duty  before  not  only  all  the  pleasures 
and  honors  of  earth,  but  life  itself,  which  he  laid  down  at  the 
post  where  duty  placed  him." ' 

Says  Hon.  W.  Lair  Hill :  "But  only  the  pioneer  mission- 
ary, Dr.  Whitman,  appears  to  have  had  clear  views  from  the 
first  of  the  possibilities  of  the  Northwest  Coast,  and  its  im- 
portance as  a  part  of  the  United  States.  He  and  Thomas  H. 
Benton  were  the  prophets  of  Oregon." ' 

Says  the  Oregonian:  "He  was  an  energetic,  heroic,  far-see- 
ing, self-sacrificing  and  thoroughly  patriotic  American  citizen, 
and  his  name  is  embalmed  forever  in  the  historv  of  the  North- 


1  u 
2 


'Whitman   College   Quarterly,"  October,   1897,  pp.   19.  20. 
From  an  unpublished  letter  in  the  possession  of  the  Oregon  His- 
torical Society. 

3  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1883,  p.  18. 


Results  3 1  1 

west.  It  falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  to  win  such  fame,  and 
few  there  are  who  so  well  deserve  it." 

Says  Governor  Elwood  Evans :  ''Pages  could  be  devoted  to 
the  praises  of  their  many  good  works.  They  were  philanthro- 
pists, practical,  devoted  Christians,  who  literally  obeyed  the 
injunction,  'Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature !'  All  wearing  the  image  of  their  Maker  shared 
their  sympathies.  They  labored  with  a  devotion  unceasing,  and 
a  zeal  most  disinterested  to  Christianize  the  Indians,  to  confer 
upon  him  the  habits  of  civilization.  He  [Dr.  Whitman]  was 
equally  the  dispenser  of  charity  and  benefits  to  his  own  .race. 
The  Indian  never  had  a  more  sincere  friend  since  William 
Penn  founded  my  native  city,  and  gave  the  world  that  glor- 
ious illustration  of  unbroken  faith  by  deeds  of  peace."  x  ^ 

Says  Bancroft,  in  his  Oregon:  "The  missionary,  Dr.  Whit- 
man, was  no  ordinary  man.  I  do  not  know  which  to  admire 
most  in  him,  his  coolness  or  his  courage.  His  nerves  were  of 
steel,  his  patience  was  excelled  only  by  his  fearlessness;  in 
the  mighty  calm  of  his  nature  he  was  a  Caesar  for  Christ." 

Says  Rev.  Dr.  Atkinson :  "When  the  future  historian  shall 
write  up  the  records  of  this  State  for  the  hundreds  of  thousands 
who  dwell  where  we  now  do,  it  will  be  his  pleasant  duty  to 
inscribe  the  highest  honors  to  the  pioneer  American  Colonists 
of  Oregon,  and  place  the  name  of  the  martyr,  Whitman,  above 
them  all." ' 

But  God  was  back  of  it  all,  so  that  it  is  very  appropriate 
to  close  this  volume  with  the  words  of  the  editor  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Herald.  After  speaking  of  Dr.  Whitman's  offer  of 
himself  to  the  American  Board  as  a  missionary,  and  giving 
some  extracts  from  his  letters,  he  adds:  "The  papers  on 
which  the  Prudential  Committee  on  that  day  appointed  Dr. 
Whitman  could  by  no  means  have  led  them  to  regard  the  ap- 
plicant as  a  man  of  unusual  abilities  and  devotion,  or  to  war- 
rant any  expectation  that  he  was  to  accomplish  a  work  of 
immense  and  far-reaching  importance.  God  chooses  His  own 
instruments  to  carry  out  his  plans.  He  who  chose  David  and 
took  him  from  the  sheep  fold  to  lead  his  people,  chose  also 

1  "Transactions  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,"  1877,  p.  35. 
"'Biography  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Atkinson,  D.D.,"  p.  272. 


312  Marcus  Whitman 

Marcus  Whitman  to  do  a  noble  work  for  our  nation  and  for 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  vast  regions  of  the  Northwest."  l 

MARCUS  WHITMAN 

"Apostle,  Patriot  and  Pioneer, 

Too  long  unhonored — yea,  but  unforgot; 
His  grateful  country  long  has  held  him  dear, 
And  fondly  voids  his  fame  shall  perish  not. 

The  love  of  Christ  within  his  soul  was  strong; 

To  serve  the  cause  of  Christ  he  westward  pressed. 
Yet  with  him  took  his  country's  flag  along, 

To  plant  it  in  the  distant  unkonwn  West. 

Prophetic-visioned,  on  the  western  side 

Of  yon  stern  range,  upreared  the  clouds  to  meet, 

He  saw  an  Empire,  throned  in  strength  and  pride, 
With  all  the  vast  Pacific  at  its  feet. 

And  he,  strong  hero,  when  in  thoughtlessness 

Our  nation  would  have  thrown  that  realm  away, 

Came  like  a  prophet  from  the  ivilderness 

The  sj)endthrift's  rash,  uplifted  hand  to  stay. 

The  mountain  snows  were  heaped  upon  his  path, 
Close  pressed  the  beasts  in  hunger  on  his  trail, 

The  storms  of  winter  beat  on  him  in  wrath, 
Yet  Whitman's  lofty  courage  did  not  fail. 

He  plead  for  country's  welfare,  not  in  vain, 
He  told  the  beauties  of  the  Sunset  Slope; 

Then  through  the  mountains  led  a  daring  train, 
To  occupy  the  fair  domains  of  hope. 

Build  high  the  granite,  lasting  as  his  fame, 

Build  wide  fair  Learning's  halls  and  ample  gates> 

That  years  to  come  may  know  and  bless  the  name 
Of  him  who  saved  the  Union  three  great  States."  * 

'"Missionary  Herald,"  January,  1898,  p.  9. 
2  "Whitman  Quarterly,"  October,  1899,  p.  30. 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX  A. 
Rev.  Samuel  Parker. 

He  was  born  at  Ashfield,  Mass.,  April  23rd,  1779,  and  was  the  son 
of  Elisha  and  Thankful  (Marchant)  Parker.  His  great  grandfather 
was  of  Puritan  ancestry,  having  been  a  freeman  of  Barnstable,  Mass., 
in  1634-5.  Samuel  graduated  at  Williams  College  in  1S06;  taught 
school  for  a  year  at  Brattleboro,  Vt.;  studied  theology  under  Rev. 
Theophilus  Packard  at  Shelburne,  Mass.,  and  at  the  end  of  a  year, 
was  licensed  to  preach.  After  preaching  as  a  home  missionary  in 
New  York  State,  he  went  to  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  where 
he  graduated  in  the  first  class  that  left  that  institution.  In  1812  he 
was  ordained  and  installed  over  the  Congregational  Church  at  Danby, 
N.  Y.  Soon  after  he  was  married  to  Miss  H.  Sears,  who  died  of  con- 
sumption a  short  time  later.  In  1815  he  was  again  married  to  Miss 
Jerusha  Lord,  of  Danby,  who  was  the  mother  of  his  three  children, 
Mrs.  Jerusha  Van  Kirk  and  Dr.  S.  J.  Parker,  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  and 
Rev.  H.  W.  Parker,  D.D.,  at  one  time  Professor  in  the  Massachusetts 
Agricultural  College,  and  afterwards  at  Iowa  College  at  Grinnell. 

Mr.  Parker  remained  at  Danby  fifteen  years,  then  was  financial 
agent  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  N.  Y.  Next  went  as  pastor 
to  Apulia,  N.  Y.,  and  then  to  Middlefield,  Mass.  While  here  the  call 
from  the  Nez  Perces  was  made  public,  and  in  1835  he  went  to  Oregon, 
as  related  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  work,  Dr.  Whitman  accompany- 
ing him  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Then  Dr.  Whitman  returned  and 
he  pressed  on  to  Oregon,  most  of  the  way  having  only  Nez  Perces 
Indians  for  company.  Having  left  the  American  Rendezvous,  August 
21,  he  arrived  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  (now  Wallula)  October  Gth,  and 
Vancouver  on  the  16th,  having  been  seven  months  and  two  days  on 
the  way;  and  the  last  fifty-six  with  Indians  only.  He  spent  the  rest 
of  that  month  and  all  of  November  exploring  the  country  west  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains,  and  learning  about  the  Indians;  then  wintered 
at  Vancouver,  staying  there  until  April,  when  he  went  up  the  Colum- 
bia to  the  country  of  the  Walla  Walla,  Cayuse,  Nez  Perces,  Spokane, 
Colville  and  Okanogan  Indians,  and  then  back  to  Vancouver.  After 
this  he  returned  East  by  water,  by  way  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  and 
Cape  Horn,  reaching  home  May  18,  1837,  having  been  absent  from  it 
two  years  and  two  months,  and  having  traveled  about  twenty-eight 
thousand  miles. 

He  did  not  return  to  Oregon,  though  he  never  lost  his  interest  in 


31  6  Appendix  A 

the  country,  often  lecturing  about  it  and  doing  what  he  could  at  Wash- 
ington for  the  same  object.  He  also  wrote  a  book  entitled  Parker's 
Exploring  Tour  Beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which  gave  an  ac- 
count of  the  journey  and  a  description  of  the  country,  the  Indians, 
and  fur  companies,  the  vegetable  and  animal  products,  the  soil  and 
geological  formation.  Sixteen  thousand  copies  of  the  work  were 
published  in  this  country,  and  it  was  republished  in  England. 

In  this  work,  and  in  supplying  various  pulpits,  he  continued  until 
1S49,  when  he  was  struck  with  paralysis,  from  which  he  partially  re- 
covered.     He  died   March  21,  1855,  aged  nearly  eighty-seven  years. 

A  sketch  of  his  life  by  his  son,  H.  W.  Parker,  D.D.,  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Church  at  home  and  Abroad  in  March,  1895,  and  another 
by  the  author  in  the  Whitman  College  Quarterly,  October,  1898. 


APPENDIX  B. 

Rev.  Henry  Harmon  Spalding. 

Mr.  Spalding  was  born  at  Prattsburg,  N.  Y.,  November  2G,  1803. 
In  early  life  he  was  left  an  orphan  and  was  brought  up  by  strangers. 
During  his  minority  he  received  very  little  schooling,  as  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  he  began  English  grammar  and  arithmetic,  being  able 
to  read  so  as  to  be  understood,  and  write  after  a  copy.  After  this, 
for  three  years,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  attending  Franklin  Acad- 
emy, working  for  his  board  and  teaching  school.  When  he  was  about 
twenty-two  he  became  a  Christian,  uniting  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  two  years  later  gave  himself  to  the  cause  of  missions. 
Then  he  studied  at  Prattsburg  Academy,  and  three  years  afterwards, 
in  1831,  entered  the  Junior  Class  in  Hamilton  College,  but  a  little 
later  went  to  the  Western  Reserve  College  in  Ohio,  where  he  grad- 
uated in  1833.  October  12,  1833,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Hart, 
of  Trenton,  N.  Y.,  who  ever  proved  a  most  worthy  and  beloved  wife. 
She  was  born  at  Berlin,  Conn.,  July  11,  1807,  was  the  daughter  of 
Captain  Levi  and  Martha  Hart,  and  was  brought  up  and  educated  in 
Ontario  County,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  she  united  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Holland  Patent,  N.  Y.,  and  became  a  tract 
distributer. 

They  moved  to  Cincinnati  in  the  fall  of  1833,  where  Mr.  Spalding 
entered  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  and  in  August,  1835,  he  was  or- 
dained by  the  Bath  Presbytery,  N.  Y.  Soon  afterwards  they  were 
appointed  by  the  American  Board  as  missionaries  to  the  Osage  In- 
dians. When  the  necessity  of  an  ordained  minister  to  accompany  Dr. 
Whitman  to  Oregon  was  made  known  to  them  by  the  Doctor,  after 
they  had  started  for  the  Osages,  early  in  1836,  with  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Board,  they  changed  their  destination,  and  made  the 
journey  in  company  with  Dr.  Whitman  and  wife,  as  narrated  in 
chapter  second.  Mrs.  Spalding's  health  was  not  good,  and  once  or 
twice  she  expected  to  die  on  the  way,  but  she  rallied,  and  lived  to  do 
good  work.  After  consultation,  it  was  decided  that  their  place  of 
labor  should  be  among  the  Nez  Perces.  They  settled  at  Lapwai, 
reaching  that  place  November  29,  1836,  and  it  was  their  home  until 
December,  1847. 

Their  work  was  often  more  encouraging  than  at  any  other  station 
of  the  Board  in  Oregon,  and  sometimes  just  as  discouraging.  On  the 
whole,  however,  they  left  a  great  and  lasting  influence  for  good  with 
that  powerful  and   influential   tribe.       During   that   time   Mr.   and    Mrs. 


318  Appendix  B 

Gray  and  Mr.  C.  Rogers  were  associated  with  them  some  of  the 
time.  Rev.  A.  B.  Smith  and  wife  labored  among  the  same  tribe, 
though  sixty  miles  distant,  at  Kamiah,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Griffin,  Alvan 
T.  Smith  and  their  wives,  independent  missionaries  to  Oregon,  as- 
sisted them  a  short  time.  In  May,  1839,  the  first  printing  done  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  was  done  at  his  station  on  a  press  donated  by  the 
mission  of  the  American  Board  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  brought 
to  this  station  by  E.  O.  Hall,  a  practical  printer,  who  made  the  jour- 
ney from  the  Islands  to  teach  others  the  art,  and  for  the  benefit  of 
his  wife's  health.  It  remained  there  for  several  years,  and  a  number 
of  pamphlets  and  booklets  in  the  Nez  Perces  and  Spokane  languages 
were  printed  on  it. 

Among  those  who  visited  his  mission  were  Lieut.  R.  E.  Johnson 
and  Mr.  Stearns,  of  Commodore  Wilkes'  Exploring  Expedition,  in 
1841;  Archibald  McKinley,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company;  and  Rev.  E. 
Walker,  in  1842;  Dr.  W.  White,  sub-Indian  agent,  in  1842  and  1843, 
and  others,  all  of  whom  bore  their  testimony  in  regard  to  the  excel- 
lence of  the  work  done  there,  and  its  results. 

After  the  massacre  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  others  in  November, 
1847,  it  was  necessary  to  abandon  the  mission,  not  because  the  Nez 
Perces  Indians  at  the  station  were  unfriendly,  but  because  the  mis- 
sion workers  could  not  be  protected  from  the  hostile  Cayuses.  Mr. 
Spalding  was  absent  from  home  at  the  time  of  the  massacre,  on  the 
way  from  Umatilla  to  Dr.  Whitman's  station,  but  he  managed,  after 
great  suffering,  to  reach  home,  traveling  chiefly  by  night  for  a  week 
on  foot.  He  found  Mrs.  Spalding  and  children  safe,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  friendly  Nez  Perces.  When  the  opportunity  was  offered 
of  a  safe  journey  to  the  Willamette,  under  the  protection  of  Chief 
Factor  Ogden,  from  Fort  Walla  Walla,  friendly  Nez  Perces  guarded 
him,  his  family,  except  his  daughter  Eliza,  who  was  among  the  cap- 
tives, and  six  other  men,  and  conducted  them  to  that  fort. 

For  nearly  fifteen  years  Mr.  Spalding  waited  to  return  to  his  be- 
loved work,  in  the  meantime  doing  what  other  work  he  could.  He 
was  pastor  of  a  small  church  at  Calapooya,  where  his  home  was,  when 
in  the  Willamette,  Indian  agent  and  postmaster.  He  also  preached 
at  several  places.  In  1859  he  returned  East  of  the  mountains,  after 
the  treaty  with  the  Nez  Perces  had  been  made,  the  Yakima  War,  and 
Col.  Wright's  campaign  finished  and  peace  restored.  It  was  not  till 
1862,  however,  that  he  was  allowed  to  resume  work  on  the  reserva- 
tion. For  a  short  time  he  was  successful,  being  received  by  the  In- 
dians gladly,  but  some  government  employes  were  unwilling  that  he 
should  remain,  so  that  for  nine  years  he  was  there  only  a  small  part 
of  the  time.  In  1871  President  Grant  adopted  what  was  called  the 
Peace  Policy  among  the  Indians.  After  going  East  in  .1870,  Mr. 
Spalding  returned  with  authority  from  the  government  to  resume  his 
missionary  work  on  the  reservation.      From  1871  to  1874  he  spent  in 


Appendix  B  319 

this  work,  the  joy  of  his  life,  for  during  that  time  he  baptized  694 
Nez  Perces  and  253  Spokanes. 

Mrs.  Spalding  died  at  Calapooya,  January  7,  1851.  In  May,  1853, 
he  was  again  married  to  Miss  Rachel  I.  Smith,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  J.  S. 
Griffin,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  January  31,  180S,  and  came 
to  Oregon  in  1852.  Mr.  Spalding  died  at  Lapwai,  Idaho,  August  3, 
1S74,  aged  nearly  71.  His  second  wife  died  at  Hillsboro,  Oregon, 
April  28,  1S80,  aged  seventy-two. 

Mr.  Spalding  was  quite  a  writer,  more  so  than  any  other  member 
of  the  Oregon  Mission.  His  publications  in  the  main  were  articles 
in  the  Missionary  Herald  about  the  missionary  work,  1836  to  1848; 
articles  in  the  Oregon  American  and  Evangelical  Unionist,  about  the 
Whitman  massacre,  1848;  series  of  articles  about  the  missionary  work 
and  its  results,  in  the  San  Francisco  Pacific,  in  1864;  the  Walla  Walla 
Statesman,  1866-7,  and  the  Albany  States  Rights  Democrat,  1866-7; 
and  a  pamphlet  of  S2  pages  on  the  same  subject,  published  by  author- 
ity of  Congress  in  1871,  as  Executive  Document  No.  37,  41st  Congress, 
in  reply  to  an  attack  made  on  the  missionaries  in  a  pamphlet  written 
by  Bishop  Brouillet,  which  had  been  published  by  authority  of  Con- 
gress in  J.  Ross  Browne's  report  on  Indian  affairs.  He  also  pub- 
lished between  1839  and  1845  three  small  booklets  in  the  Nez  Perces 
language,  of  8,  20  and  52  pages,  a  hymn  book  of  32  pages,  and  a  trans- 
lation of  Matthew  of  81  pages.  The  latter  was  revised  and  published 
by  the  American  Bible  Society  as  a  12-mo.  volume  of  130  pages. 

Fuller  sketches  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Spalding  by  the  author  have 
been  published,  one  of  sixteen  octavo  pages,  in  the  Transactions  of  the 
Oregon  Pioneer  Association  for  1897,  and  the  other  of  fifty-seven 
pages  in  the  Whitman  College  Quarterly  for  December,  1898,  and 
March,  June  and  October,  1900. 


APPENDIX  C. 

William  H.  Gray. 

He  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  September  8,  1810.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  quite  young,  and  he  was  brought  up  by  his  eldest 
brother,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman.  He  first  learned  the  cabinet 
maker's  trade  and  became  foreman  of  it;  next  studied  medicine,  and 
was  then  converted.  Soon  after  his  attention  was  turned  to  mis- 
sions. What  induced  him  to  go  to  Oregon  is  not  absolutely  known, 
but  it  is  believed  that  it  was  through  the  addresses  on  the  subject  by 
Rev.  S.  Parker  in  1834-5.  At  any  rate  he  was  asked  by  the  American 
Board  to  go  to  Oregon  as  a  mechanic  during  the  winter  of  1835-6, 
and  assented,  joining  Dr.  Whitman  at  Liberty,  having  preceded  the 
mission  party  to  that  place.  After  their  arrival  in  Oregon,  and  the 
stations  had  been  selected,  Mr.  Gray  spent  some  time  at  both  the 
stations  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spalding,  assisting  in  building  their 
houses.  Then  he  went  to  Vancouver  to  procure  supplies,  so  that  he 
could  return  East  for  more  laborers.  He  went  back  by  a  northern 
route,  by  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Lake,  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Columbia,  to 
near  where  Helena  now  stands,  and  then  to  Fort  Laramie.  At  Ash 
Hollow,  near  the  latter  place,  he  and  his  party  were  attacked  by  300 
Sioux.  His  five  Indian  companions  were  killed,  two  horses  were 
killed  under  him,  and  two  bullets  passed  through  his  hat,  cutting  off 
some  of  his  hair.  Peace  was,  however,  made  by  the  help  of  a  French- 
man, and  he  was  allowed  to  pass  on.  During  his  tour  to  Oregon 
and  return  by  different  routes,  he  visited  many  tribes,  and  so  pressed 
upon  the  Board  the  sending  out  of  several  more  missionaries. 

Accordingly,  Reverends  A.  B.  Smith,  E.  Walker,  and  C.  Eells, 
with  their  wives,  also  Mr.  Cornelius  Rogers,  were  sent  to  Oregon  in 
1S38.  Mr.  Gray  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Dix,  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y., 
February  27,  1838,  and  conducted  the  party  across  under  the  pro- 
tection of  Fur  Companies.  They  reached  Dr.  Whitman's  station  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  August.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  spent  the  first 
winter  at  Mr.  Spalding's  and  the  rest  of  the  time  until  July,  1842,  at 
that  place,  Dr.  Whitman's,  and  in  exploring  the  country.  Then  he 
resigned  his  connection  with  the  mission  and  moved  to  the  Willamette, 
where  he  became  General  Superintendent  and  Secular  Agent  of  the 
Oregon  Institute,  which  has  since  grown  into  the  Willamette  Univer- 
sity, under  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  About  this  time  he 
was   very   influential   in   having   the    Provisional    Government   of   Ore- 


Appendix  C  321 

gon  formed.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  first  Legislature  of  Ore- 
gon, and  in  1845  he  was  elected  to  the  same  position  from  Clackamas 
County.  In  those  first  sessions  he  was  an  earnest  worker.  From 
3842  to  1844,  he  lived  at  Salem;  in  1844  he  moved  to  Oregon  City; 
in  1846  to  a  farm  on  the  Clatsop"  plains,  where  he  remained  until  1855 
when  he  moved  to  Astoria.  Soon  after  he  went  to  Fort  Hope  in 
British  Columbia,  where  he  engaged  in  steamboating.  In  1860-1  he 
moved  to  Okanogan,  where  he  continued  freighting,  but  in  1874  he 
returned  to  Astoria,  between  which  place  and  his  Clatsop  farm  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 

In  1864  he  began  writing  his  History  of  Oregon,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  1870,  an  octavo  volume  of  6S4  pages.  He  also  published  an 
annual  address  before  the  Pioneer  and  Historical  Society  of  Oregon, 
8  octavo  pages,  two  pamphlets  of  32  and  35  pages  on  the  Moral  and 
Religious  Aspects  of  the  Indian  Question,  and  in  connection  with  Hon. 
E.  C.  Ross  and  Rev.  M.  Eells,  a  pamphlet  on  the  Whitman  Contro- 
versy, Air.  Gray's  part  being  twenty-one  pages.  He  also  worked 
earnestly  to  secure  means  to  erect  a  monument  to  Dr.  Whitman,  be- 
ginning with  1874,  and  although  he  did  not  live  to  see  it  erected,  yet 
he  secured  considerable  money  for  the  purpose. 

In  1870  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  made  a  trip  East,  after  an  absence  of 
thirty-two  years,  going  by  steamer  to  San  Francisco  and  then  by 
railroad.  In  1883  he  made  his  third  trip  East  with  an  excursion  of 
Oregon  Pioneers  on  the  completion  of  the  North  Pacific  Railroad. 
In  1888  he  was  present  at  Walla  Walla,  at  the  celebration  of  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  the  only  one  present  of  the  fifteen  who  united  with  it  in  1838. 

Mrs.  Gray  died  at  her  home  at  Clatsop,  December  8,  1881,  aged 
nearly  seventy-two  years.  She  was  a  lovely  woman.  Mr.  Gray  died 
at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  Jacob  Kamm,  at  Portland,  Oregon, 
November  4,  1889,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  They  left  seven  children: 
Captain  J.  H.  D.  Gray,  of  Astoria;  Mrs.  Caroline  Kamm,  of  Port- 
land; Mrs.  Mary  S.  Tarbell,  Mrs.  Sarah  F.  Abernethy,  of  Palatine 
Hill,  Portland;  Captain  William  P.  Gray,  of  Pasco;  Captain  Albert 
W.  Gray,  of  Ellensburg;  and  Captain  James  T.  Gray,  of  Vancouver; 
also  thirty-two  grandchildren  and  two  great  grandchildren.  Quite  an 
extended  account  of  the  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray,  by  the  author, 
was  published  in  the  Walla  Walla  Union  for  May  10  and  17,  1890. 


APPENDIX  D. 

Rev.  Asa  Bowen  Smith.1 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  July  16th,  1809,  and 
was  the  son  of  Asa  Smith,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  town.  He 
entered  the  Middlebury  College,  Vermont,  in  1831,  and  during  this 
first  year  in  college  was  converted  and  became  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  His  inquiry  then  was  :  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do?"  This  naturally  led  him  into  the  ministry,  and  to 
offer  himself  as  a  missionary  to  the  American  Board  of  Commission- 
ers for  Foreign  Missions. 

Having  graduated  in  1834,  he  spent  two  years  at  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Andover,  Mass.,  and  one  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  where 
he  finished  his  course  in  1837,  after  which  he  was  ordained  at  his 
home  Nov.  1st  of  the  same  year. 

Mrs.  Smith  (Sarah  Gilbert  White)  was  born  at  West  Brookfield, 
Mass.,  Sept.  14,  1813,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Deacon  Alfred  White, 
a  descendant  of  Peregrine  White,  who  was  born  on  the  Mayflower 
after  its  arrival  on  the  New  England  Coast. 

They  were  married  March  15th,  1838,  soon  after  which  they  started 
overland  for  Oregon.  After  his  arrival,  as  stated  in  the  body  of  this 
work,  he  was  stationed  at  Kamiah.  Mr.  Rogers  was  with  him  part 
of  the  time,  but  generally  he  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  alone  with  the 
Indians. 

In  a  letter  dated  Aug.  27,  1839,  in  the  Missionary  Herald,  Mr. 
Smith  wrote: 

"On  arriving  here  I  built  a  house  of  cedar  to  answer  our  purpose 
for  the  summer,  and  without  a  chair  or  a  table,  commenced  my 
studies.  Our  house  was  made  by  grooving  posts  and  setting  them 
in  the  ground,  and  filling  the  sides  with  split  cedar.  The  roof  was 
made  of  dirt.  Our  floor  is  the  ground;  our  windows  are  cracks  be- 
tween the  timbers;  our  door  is  made  of  cedar  split  with  an  ax.  At 
my  leisure  I  have  made  some  stools  to  sit  on  and  a  table  by  splitting 
a  log  and  putting  legs  into  it.  Such  is  the  table  on  which  I  am  now 
writing;  and  I  assure  you,  notwithstanding  all  these  inconveniences, 
I  enjoy  myself  as  well  in  studying  here  as  I  did  in  the  nicely  fur- 
nished rooms  at  Andover." 

Mr.    Smith   was   a   good   student,   and   he   set   himself   earnestly   to 

1  Condensed  and  revised  from  an  article  by  the  author  in  the  Seattle  Post- 
InteUif/encer  for  March  25,  1886. 


Appendix  D  323 

the  study  of  the  language,  and  he  was  so  successful  that  during  the 
winter  of  1S39-40  Dr.  Whitman  employed  Smith  and  Rogers  to  write 
a  book  in  the  Nez  Perces  language  for  printing,  which  the  mission 
had  assigned  to  him  as  being  better  qualified  for  the  task,  although 
Dr.  Whitman  had  then  been  in  the  country  more  than  twice  as  long 
as   Mr.   Smith. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  printing  press  in  1839  from  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  he  was  appointed  by  the  mission  to  prepare  a  small  book 
from  the  New  Testament,  and  to  assist  in  the  preparation  of  a  hymn 
book.  Before  he  left  the  country,  in  1841,  he  and  Mr.  Rogers  had, 
with  the  aid  of  their  teacher,  Lawyer,  completed  a  vocabulary  and  a 
grammar  of  the  language. 

In  the  spring  of  1S41  Mr.  Smith,  however,  found  that  his  own 
health  was  considerably  impaired,  while  that  of  his  wife  was  alarm- 
ingly so,  and  hence  they  felt  that  it  was  best  for  them  to  leave  the 
place.  She  was  so  unwell  that  the  only  way  he  could  move  her  was 
in  a  canoe  down  the  river. 

They  left  Kamiah  April  19,  1841,  and  went  to  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
where  they  remained  two  weeks,  when  they  proceeded  to  Vancouver, 
and  at  that  place  Mrs.  Smith  was  under  the  care  of  the  company's 
physician  for  several  months;  but  the  climate  did  not  agree  with  her, 
and  it  was  believed  that  she  could  not  regain  her  health  in  Oregon. 
Consequently  they  embarked  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  they 
arrived  January  25,  1842.  Under  that  mild  and  genial  climate  the  health 
of  both  so  far  recovered  in  two  months  that  they  requested  the  Ameri- 
can Board  to  allow  them  to  stay  there  and  enter  on  missionary  work 
in  connection  with  their  mission  at  those  islands.  This  they  were 
authorized  to  do.  They  went  to  the  station  of  Waialua,  on  the  island 
of  Oahu,  where  they  remained  until  1843,  when  Mr.  Smith's  health 
failed,  and  they  returned  to  the  United  States  by  way  of  China. 

During  1847  Mr.  Smith  supplied  the  church  at  South  Amherst, 
Mass.  In  March.  1848,  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Buckland,  where  'he  remained  until  August,  1859.  While  here  his 
wife  died  of  consumption,  in  May,  1855,  at  the  age  of  41.  Her  life 
was  one  of  usefulness,  and  it  may  be  said  of  her,  "She  hath  done 
what  she  could."  In  June,  1856,  Mr.  Smith  was  again  married  to 
Miss  Harriet  E.  Nutting,  of  Amherst,  Mass.  From  January,  1860, 
until  May,  1871,  he  supplied  the  church  at  Southbury,  Conn. 

Although  unable  to  live  in  foreign  countries  with  his  missionary 
spirit,  he  at  one  time  offered  himself  to  the  American  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society,  and  was  appointed  to  work  in  Minnesota,  but  his 
wife's  health  would  not  even  permit  this. 

After  his  resignation  at  Southbury,  feeling  that  he  was  ton  old 
to  take  a  settled  pastorate,  he  moved  to  Rocky  Bar,  Conn.,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  188.'!,  when  he  went  on  a  visit  to  some  rela- 
tives at  Sherwood,  Tennessee.      Here  was  a  colony  of  Yankees,  who 


324  Appendix  D 

had  come  by  way  of  Minnesota,  Lieutenant-Governor  Sherwood,  of 
Minnesota,  having  here  purchased  some  13,000  acres  for  a  land  com- 
pany. Mr.  Smith  labored  acceptably  among  this  people,  when  he 
returned  to  Connecticut.  In  the  fall,  however,  the  people  of  that 
place  invited  him  to  return,  preach  to  them  and  organize  a  Congre- 
gational Church.  He  did  so,  the  church  having  been  organized  in 
January,  1884,  which  numbered  23  members  before  his  death.  Here 
he  found  a  genial,  sunny  home  until  his  death,  February  10,  1886. 

Thus  during  a  long  life  he  labored  in  the  East,  West,  North  and 
South,  in  the  United  States,  and  out  of  it,  among  Indians,  Sandwich 
Islanders,  and  whites,  and  still  brought  forth  fruit  in  old  age. 

A  sketch  of  his  life  and  of  those  of  his  two  wives  was  published 
by  Rev.  A.  C.  Hodges  in  1889  in  a  pamphlet  of  twenty-seven  pages. 


APPENDIX  E. 

Rev.  E.  Walker.1 

Rev.  Elkanah  Walker  was  born  at  North  Yarmouth,  Maine,  Aug. 
7,  1805.  He  was  the  son  of  a  farmer  and  was  brought  up  at  his  native 
place.  He  was  not  converted  until  about  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
soon  after  which  he  began  to  study  for  the  ministry.  He  took  an 
academic  course,  but  did  not  go  to  college,  a  fact  which  he  afterwards 
regretted.  He  entered  Bangor  Theological  Seminary  (Maine)  in 
1834,  and  graduated  in  1837.  Having  given  himself  to  the  work  of 
foreign  missions,  he  was  appointed  by  the  American  Board  with  Rev. 
C.  Eells,  to  South  Africa;  but  a  fierce  war  betwen  the  African  chiefs 
there  detained  them.  In  the  meantime,  the  call  from  Oregon  be- 
came so  urgent  that  with  their  consent,  their  destination  was  changed 
to  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  was  ordained  as  a  Congregational  minister 
at  Brewer,  Maine,  in  February,  1838,  and  was  married  March  5,  1S38, 
to  Miss  Mary  Richardson.  She  was  born  at  Baldwin,  Maine,  April 
1,  1811,  and  before  her  engagement  to  Mr.  Walker  was  appointed  as 
a  missionary  by  the  Board  to  Siam;  but  after  that  event,  her  destina- 
tion was  changed  first  to  Africa  and  then  to  Oregon. 

The  next  day  after  their  marriage  they  started  across  the  conti- 
nent on  their  bridal  tour,  in  company  with  the  others  of  the  missionary 
party  of  1838,  making  the  journey  horseback  from  Missouri  to  Dr. 
\\  hitman's. 

During  the  ten  years  he  spent  in  the  Indian  work,  he  studied  the 
Spokane  language  quite  thoroughly,  learning  its  scientific,  grammati- 
cal construction,  more  thoroughly  than  Mr.  Eells.  He  prepared  a 
small  booklet  in  that  language,  which  was  printed  on  the  mission 
press  at  Lapwai  in  1841,  and  may  properly  be  called  the  pioneer  book 
writer  of  the  State  of  Washington. 

After  the  Whitman  massacre  in  November,  1847,  they  remained 
at  their  station  until  the  following  March,  when  they  went  to  Fort 
Colville  for  safety,  where  they  enjoyed  the  protection  of  Chief  Factor 
Lewis,  until  June,  when  they  were  escorted  to  the  Willamette  by  the 
Oregon  Volunteers. 

Mr.  Walker  lived  at  Oregon  City  from  June,  184S,  until  1850,  when 
he  moved  to  Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  which  was  his  home  ever  after- 
ward.     While  at  Oregon  City  he  made  a  tour  with   Dr.  A.  G.   Dart, 

1  Revised  from  a  sketch  by  the  author  In  the  History  of  the  PaiHflc  North- 
west, vol.  2,  p.  619. 


326  Appendix  E 

Indian  Agent,  through  some  of  the  country  east  of  the  Cascade  Moun 
tains,  but  decided  that  it  was  not  his  duty  to  return  there  to  live, 
largely  on  account  of  his  children,  although  the  Spokane  Indians  had 
remained  friendly,  and  earnestly  wished  him  to  return.  He  also  in 
July,  1848,  with  four  other  brethren,  organized  the  Congregational 
Association  of  Oregon. 

From  1852  to  1856  he  was  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  Church  at  For- 
est Grove,  and  from  1856  to  1875,  with  the  exception  of  about  three 
and  a  half  years,  was  pastor  or  joint-pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  that  place,  being  assisted  at  times  by  S.  H.  Marsh,  D.D., 
T.  Condon,  H.  Lyman  and  C.  Eells.  During  this  time  the  church 
building  was  erected  with  great  effort  at  a  cost  of  over  seven  thousand 
dollars,  of  which  he  gave  one  thousand,  and  eighty-two  were  added  to 
the  church,  fifty  of  them  on  profession  of  faith. 

In  1848  he  aided  in  establishing  Tualatin  Academy,  which  in  1854 
grew  into  Pacific  University,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  from  1866 
until  his  death,  and  to  which  he  gave  a  thousand  dollars.  In  1870, 
with  his  wife,  he  returned  to  Maine  on  a  visit,  a  trip  which  they 
greatly  enjoyed. 

He  died  at  his  home  November  21,  1877,  and  his  wife  died  at  the 
same  place,  December  4,  1897.  They  had  eight  children,  Cyrus  H., 
Abigail  B.  (Karr),  Marcus  W.,  J.  Elkanah,  Jeremiah,  John  R.,  Levi 
C,  and  Samuel  T.  Of  these,  Cyrus  H.,  is  the  oldest  American  white 
boy  born  in  the  then  Oregon;  Rev.  J.  Elkanah  has  been  a  missionary 
in  China  since  1S72;  Cyrus  H.,  Marcus  W.?  John  R.,  Levi  C,  and 
Samuel  T.  have  been  more  or  less  engaged  as  their  parents  were  in 
Christian  work  among  the  Indians. 


APPENDIX  F. 

Rev.  Cushing  Eells,  D.  D.1 

Mr.  Eells  was  born  at  Blandford,  Massachusetts,  February  16,  1810, 
and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Warner)  Eells.  He  was 
descended  from  Samuel  Eells,  a  major  in  Cromwell's  army,  who  came 
to  Massachusetts  in  1G61.  He  was  brought  up  at  Blandford,  became  a 
Christian  when  fifteen  years  old,  was  educated  at  Monson  Academy 
-and  Williams  Colrege  in  his  native  state,  graduating  from  college  in 
1834,  and  three  years  later  he  graduated  from  East  Windsor  (now 
Hartford)  Theological  Seminary,  Connecticut.  He  was  ordained  at 
Blandford,  October  25,  1837,  as  a   Congregational   minister. 

He  was  married  March  5,  1838,  to  Miss  Myra  Fairbanks,  who  was 
born  at  Holden,  Mass.,  May  26,  1805.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Deacon  Joshua  and  Mrs.  Sally  Fairbanks,  their  first  ancestor  in 
America,  Jonathan  Fairbanks,  arriving  in  Massachusetts  in  1633.  She 
made  a  profession  of  religion  when  thirteen  years  old.  Like  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walker,  they  were  first  appointed  missionaries  to  South  Africa, 
but  their  field  was  afterwards  changed  to  Oregon,  where  they  arrived 
in  August,  1838.  With  Mr.  Walker's  family,  as  stated  in  the  sketch 
of  his  life,  after  the  Whitman  massacre,  they  moved  to  the  Will- 
amette Valley  in  1848.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eells  taught  school  in 
the  Oregon  Institute  (now  Willamette  University)  during  the  winter 
cf  1848-9,  when  they  moved  to  Forest  Grove,  where  they  taught  in 
Tualatin  Academy.  In  1851  they  moved  to  Hillsboro,  where  Mr.  Eells 
taught  and  preached  until  1857,  when  he  returned  to  Forest  Grove 
as  Principal  of  the  Academy.  In  1860  he  went  to  Walla  Walla, 
moving  his  family  there  two  years  later,  and  settled  on  the  Whitman 
mission  claim.  He  then  established  Whitman  Seminary  (now  Whit- 
man College),  whose  first  sessions  began  in  1866.  In  it  he  taught 
about  two  years  and  a  half,  was  President  of  its  Board  of  Trustees 
from  the  granting  of  its  charter  in  1859  until  his  death,  spent  about  a 
year  in  the  East  in  its  behalf,  as  financial  agent,  in  1883-4,  securing 
for  it  about  twelve  thousand  dollars — his  only  trip  East — and  gave 
to  it  nearly  ten  thousand  dollars. 

In  1872,  his  house  having  been  burned,  he  moved  to  Skokomish, 
Washington,  on  Puget  Sound,  but  after  1874,  spent  most  of  his  time 

1  Condensed  from  a  sketch  by  the  author  in  the  History  of  the  Pacific  North- 
west, vol.  2,  p.  315. 


328  Appendix  F 

until  1888  in  Eastern  Washington  in  ministerial  work,  except  when  he 
was  in  the  Eastern  States.  During  these  years  he  was  the  means 
of  organizing  the  Congregational  Church  at  Skokomish  in  1874,  of 
which  he  was  pastor  for  nearly  two  years;  at  Colfax,  in  1877,  of 
which  he  was  pastor  four  years;  at  Chewelah,  in  1879,  where  he  was 
pastor  nine  years;  at  Cheney,  in  1881,  pastor  three  years;  at  Sprague, 
in  1882,  pastor  two  years;  and  at  Medical  Lake,  in  1883,  being  its 
pastor  five  years.  Besides  what  he  gave  to  Whitman  College,  he 
and  his  wife  gave  to  sixteen  Congregational  Churches  of  Oregon  and 
Washington,  over  nine  thousand  dollars,  and  to  various  other  benevo- 
lent objects,  fifty-five  hundred. 

He  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  Pacific  University  in  1883, 
and  was  elected  Assistant  Moderator  of  the  National  Congregational 
Council  at  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  the  same  year. 

Mrs.  Eells  died  at  Skokomish,  August  9,  1878.  Dr.  Eells  moved 
from  Medical  Lake  to  Tacoma  in  1888,  where  he  died  on  his  eighty- 
third  birthday,  February  16,  1893.  They  left  two  sons,  Hon.  Edwin 
Eells,  United  States  Indian  Agent  on  Puget  Sound  from  1871  to  1895, 
and  Rev.  M.  Eells,  missionary  among  the  Indians  of  the  Sound  since 
1874.  Their  biography  by  the  author  was  published  in  1894,  a  12-mo. 
volume  of  342  pages. 


APPENDIX  G. 

Cornelius  Rogers. 

Very  little  is  known  of  Mr.  Rogers'  early  life.  In  fact,  after  his 
death  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  the  executors  of  his  estate  found 
that  he  came  from  Utica,  New  York,  where  his  heirs  were  living. 
He  was  born  September  24,  1815,  was  educated  at  Oswego,  N.  Y., 
and  when  he  joined  the  mission  church  did  so  by  a  letter  from  a 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  joined  the  missionary 
party  of  1838  at  Cincinnati,  though  not  under  appointment  as  mis- 
sionary by  the  Board,  and  was  with  them  until  they  arrived  at  Walla 
Walla.  At  first  he  was  hired  by  the  missionaries,  but  in  1840  re- 
ceived an  appointment  by  the  Board  as  an  assistant  missionary. 
During  the  winter  of  1838-9  he  taught  school  at  Lapwai,  and  a  part 
of  1839  he  spent  with  the  Nez  Perces  Indians  on  their  summer  tour, 
so  that  he  might  learn  the  language  more  perfectly  and  teach  them 
when  they  were  absent  from  the  missionary  station.  In  March,  1840, 
he  made  a  trip  to  the  Willamette,  returning  in  July.  In  August  he 
went  to  Vancouver  and  Nisqually,  returning  in  November.  The  next 
winter  he  spent  at  Lapwai  and  Kamiah,  and  then  went  to  Dr.  Whit- 
man's as  teacher  and  printer.  He  was  an  apt  scholar,  and  learned 
the  Nez  Perces  language  well.  When  the  printing  press  arrived  in 
1S39,  Dr.  Whitman  was  appointed  to  write  a  book,  but  being  very 
busy,  he  employed  Messrs.  Roger  sand  Smith  to  do  it,  as  they  were 
better  qualified  for  the  work  than  himself,  although  he  had  then  been 
in  the  country  more  than  three  years,  two  years  longer  than  they  had 
been.  When  printed  in  1840  it  made  a  fine  addition  to  their  means  of 
instructing  the  Indians.  It  contained  fifty-two  pages  and  eight  hun- 
dred copies  of  it  were  printed. 

In  1841  he  resigned  his  connection  with  the  mission  and  went  to 
the  Willamette,  where  he  was  employed  for  a  time  by  Commodore 
Wilkes  as  interpreter,  because  of  his  knowledge  of  the  Indian  lan- 
guages. About  the  first  of  September  he  was  married  to  Miss  Satira 
Leslie,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.   D.   Leslie,  of  the  Methodist  Mission. 

Dr.  Whitman  wished  him  to  return  and  take  charge  of  his  station 
during  the  winter  of  1842-3  when  he  went  East,  but  Mr.  Rogers  had 
other  engagements  which  prevented  it.  He,  however,  accompanied 
Dr.  White  as  agent  on  his  trip  among  the  Indians  east  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains  late  in  1842. 

February  1,  1843,  he  with  his  wife,  her  sister,  N.  Crocker,  and  two 


330  Appendix  C 

Indians  were  accidentally  carried  over  the  Willamette  Falls  at  Oregon 
City,  thirty-eight  feet,  in  a  canoe,  and  drowned. 

Rev.  G.  Hines  says  of  him  in  his  History  of  Oregon:  "He  was 
justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  useful  men  in  the  country.  .  .  . 
If  by  some  awful  convulsion  of  nature  the  whole  city  of  New  York 
were  to  be  submerged  beneath  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the 
shock  to  the  state  could  not  be  greater  than  was  felt  in  the  colony  of 
Oregon  when  the  mission  canoe,  with  its  precious  cargo,  went  over 
the  Falls.  This  awful  dispensation  wrapped  the  whole  country  in 
gloom."  Says  Dr.  White:  "The  shock  was  dreadful  to  the  infant 
community,  Mr.  Rogers  being  more  important  to  me  than  anyone  in 
the  country;  nor  was  there  a  more  respectable  or  useful  man  west  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains."  Mrs.  Whitman  wrote:  "This  is  a  very  af- 
flictive providence  to  all  in  the  country,  especially  to  all  who  knew  his 
worth  as  a  teacher  among  the  Indians  and  as  a  linguist;  but  the  Lord 
has  done  it  and  we  would  acquiesce.  As  an  individual,  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  lost  a  friend — a  brother." 


APPENDIX  H. 

Edwin  Oscar  Hall.1 

Though  Hr.  Hall  was  not  connected  with  the  Oregon  Mission,  yet 
he  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  printer  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 
He  was  born  in  Walpole,  New  Hampshire,  October  21,  1810,  made  a 
public  profession  of  his  faith  as  a  Christian  in  January,  1834,  soon 
after  offered  himself  to  the  American  Board,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Sandwich  Islands  with  his  wife,  Sarah  Lynn  Williams,  who  was  born 
at  Elizabethtown,  New  Jersey,  October  27,  1812.  Having  been  a 
practical  printer  of  New  York  City,  he  was  commissioned  as  secular 
agent  and  printer.  For  fifteen  years  he  had  charge  of  the  mission 
p-ess  there,  translating  and  printing  bibles,  hymn  books,  school,  col- 
lege, and  theological  books  into  the  Hawaiian  language.  On  account 
of  the  poor  health  of  Mrs.  Hall,  it  was  thought  best  that  he  and 
his  wife  should  accompany  the  printing  press  to  Oregon,  so  that  he 
might  teach  the  art  of  printing,  while  at  the  same  time  it  was  hoped 
that  the  change  in  the  climate  would  benefit  her.  Hence,  in  1839 
they  came  to  Oregon  and  returned  the  next  year. 

In  1850  the  work  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  had  advanced  so  far 
that  the  Missionary  Board  thought  it  best  to  transfer  its  responsi- 
bility to  the  native  churches.  Many  of  the  missionaries  were  then 
released,  Mr.  Hall  among  the  rest.  He  then  entered  the  mercantile 
business  in  Honolulu,  and  for  thirty  years  was  a  successful  merchant 
there.  His  business  was  conducted  on  Christian  principles,  and  from 
first  to  last  the  house  of  E.  O.  Hall  and  Son  was  never  smirched  with 
a  stain  of  dishonor.  He  was  one  whom  the  people  ever  respected  as 
a  Christian  business  man.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Fort 
Street  Church,  Honolulu,  was  a  deacon  and  trustee,  after  1862,  was 
always  at  prayer  meeting,  church,  and  with  his  Sabbath  School  class 
v.  hen  at  home;  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Hawaiian  Board  of 
Missions,  financial  agent  and  treasurer  of  the  American  Board  at  the 
Islands,  a  faithful  trustee  of  Oahu  College,  after  1862,  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Government  Board  of  Education,  was  Counsellor  and 
Minister  of  the  Interior  under  King  Lunalilo,  continuing  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Privy  Council  under  King  Kalakana,  and  one  of  the  first 
three  trustees  of  the  Lunalilo  Home,  to  which  the  king,  by  will,  left 
large  gifts. 

1  Revised  from  an  article  by  the  author  In  the  Seattle  Post-Intelligencer,  Nov. 
8,  1883. 


332  Appendix  H 

Firm  principles,  sound  judgment,  affable  manners,  pure  in  motive, 
he  made  a  valuable  citizen,  a  true  friend,  a  noble  helper,  and  was  a 
noble  example  to  the  brotherhood  of  printers  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
to  whom  they  can  point  with  pardonable  pride  as  their  first  prede- 
cessor. 

His  wife,  who  was  benefitted  by  her  trip  to  the  Pacific  Coast, 
died  in  1866.  His  second  wife,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  C.  Dame,  of  Fal- 
mouth, Maine,  survived  him.  He  died  at  Falmouth,  Maine,  September 
19,  1883.  His  remains  were  embalmed  and  taken  to  Honolulu  for 
burial.      His  last  intelligible  word  was  "Jesus." 


APPENDIX  I. 

Mr.  Andrew  Rodgers. 

He  was  born  in  Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  in  1818  or  1819.  When 
four  or  five  years  old  his  parents  moved  to  Monroe  County,  Mo., 
where  he  lived  until  1836.  Then  being  about  eighteen  years  old,  he 
went  to  a  farm  about  six  miles  from  Monmouth,  in  Warren  County, 
111.,  where  he  remained,  when  not  in  school,  until  he  started  for  Ore- 
gon, in  1845. 

A  cousin  of  his  was  Governor  of  Virginia  during  the  war,  and  an 
uncle,  a  man  of  considerable  natural  ability,  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  when  only  24  years  old. 

When  Andrew  was  18  years  old  he  united  with  the  Associate 
Presbyterian  Church,,  and  he  remained  in  the  communion  of  that 
church  about  seven  years.  His  views  about  singing  hymns  and 
communing  with  other  Christians  having  changed,  after  consultation, 
it  was  decided  that  he  could  not  remain  a  worthy  member  of  that 
church.  He  was  also  led  to  believe  that  the  Congregational  form  of 
church  government  was  more  Scriptural  than  any  other;  so  that, 
when  he  arrived  in  Oregon,  he  was  glad  to  meet  with  the  New  School 
Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists,  who  were  connected  with  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  He  had 
made  attempts  to  study  before  he  came  to  Oregon,  though  it  is  not 
certain  whether  or  not  he  intended  to  enter  the  ministry.  First  he 
studied  with  his  pastor,  then  with  a  Presbyterian  minister  at  Macomb, 
111.,  and  then  at  Illinois  College,  when  Dr.  Edward  Beecher  was  its 
president,  and  afterward  at  home.  But  his  means  were  limited,  and 
his  health  was  not  good.  He  hoped  that  by  coming  to  this  coast  his 
health  would  be  improved;  so  in  1845,  with  a  brother,  he  started  for 
Oregon,  in  the  hope  of  returning  home  in  a  year  or  two  with  re- 
gained health. 

When  he  reached  The  Dalles  he  met  Dr.  Whitman,  who  was  there 
looking  among  the  immigrants  for  a  teacher  for  his  station.  Mr. 
Rodgers  engaged  to  go,  and  hence  returned  as  far  as  the  Doctor's 
station  on  the  Walla  Walla  River,  where  he  spent  the  winter  teach- 
ing school. 

In  a  letter,  dated  Oct.  25,  1845,  he  described  the  whole  country  from 
Missouri  to  Walla  Walla,  and  especially  the  Walla  Walla  Valley.  He 
spoke  of  its  climate,  products,  capabilities,  adaptation  to  sheep  rais- 
ing, the  best  route  across  the  plains,  and  the  outfit  needed.  In  general 
his  opinion  was  very  correct,  as  seen   in   the  light   i»f  later  days. 

After  having  wintered  at  the  station,  he  describes  Doctor  and 
Mrs.  Whitman  as  follows: 


334  Appendix  I 

"I  think  Mrs.  Whitman  is  one  of  the  best  women  in  the  world. 
She  has  a  family  of  eleven  children  (and  also  one  of  Mr.  Walker's 
during  the  winter),  and,  strange  to  say,  not  one  of  them  is  her  own. 
(In  a  later  letter  he  calls  her  'my  mother').  I  can  hardly  tell  you 
what  kind  of  a  man  the  Doctor  is,  for  he  is  so  much  of  an  all-sorts- 
of-a-man,  yet  a  very  kind,  generous,  persevering  man.  I  suppose, 
as  to  taking  the  lead  in  missionary  affairs,  he  takes  the  lead.  Of  the 
difficulties  and  trials  of  a  missionary  life,  few  of  us  in  the  States  have 
any  definite  idea.  Indeed,  no  one  can  well  do  so  until  he  has  been 
among  them  for  some  time.  Those  things  that  are  regarded  as 
trials  at  home  (leaving  home  and  friends)  are  not  considered  such  at 
all  when  they  get  here.  They  have  doubtless  done  much  good  here, 
but  it  respects  temporal  affairs  more  than  spiritual.  Not  that  they 
have  not  labored  as  much  for  the  later  as  the  former — much  more. 
But  the  natural  heart  is  always  and  in  every  place  averse  to  religion, 
both  in  savage  and  civilized  countries — Indians  or  white  men." 

Evidently  Mr.  Rodgers  before  this  had  thoughts  of  entering  the 
ministry,  but  his  want  of  good  health  and  opportunity  had  been  such 
that  his  plans  had  not  taken  definite  shape.  After  spending  the 
winter  of  1845-6  at  Dr.  Whitman's,  these  plans  became  settled,  and 
he  determined  to  pursue  his  studies  with  this  end  in  view,  and  also 
do  what  he  could  for  the  Indians.  Acordingly,  in  the  spring  he  vis- 
ited Tshimakain,  near  the  Spokane  River,  150  miles  north,  to  arrange 
for  a  course  of  study  under  Rev.  E.  Walker.  In  a  letter  dated  at 
this  place,  April  22,  1846,  he  says:  "I  am  so  far  from  where  anybody 
lives  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  tell  you  where  I  am.  When  I  left 
home  I  had  no  thought  of  being  where  I  am  now,  and  thought  less 
of  being  here  for  the  purpose  for  which  I  am  come  to  pursue  my 
studies." 

During  the  next  summer  he  made  a  journey  to  the  Willamette 
Valley  with  Mr.  Spalding  with  a  pack  train.  In  a  letter  written 
about  this  time,  he  says: 

"I  can  assure  you  I  do  not  expect  to  take  another  trip  to  the 
Willamette,  with  thirty  or  forty  horses  and  a  good  many  packs,  for 
the  pleasure  of  it.  It  was  such  a  task  as  I  do  not  wish  to  undertake 
again  very  soon,  on  pretty  good  pay.  However,  it  is  all  over,  and  I 
will  not  feel  any  worse  for  it  perhaps  a  hundred  years  hence." 

He  visited  Oregon  City,  went  down  the  river  to  Vancouver,  out  to 
the  Tualatin  Plains  with  his  brother,  and  then  up  the  Willamette  Val- 
ley to  Salem.  After  his  return  he  began  the  study  of  his  new  He- 
brew grammar,  and  devoted  two  pages  of  letter  paper,  finely  written, 
to  Mr.  Walker  about  the  Hebrew  vowels,  which  showed  that  he  was 
a  close  student. 

Under  date  of  Dec.  4,  1846,  he  wrote  that  he  had  just  heard  defi- 
nitely about  the  treaty  between  England  and  the  United  States  which 
settled  the  Oregon  boundary,  and  he  did  not  like  it,  as  he  thought  the 
49th  parallel  ought  to  have  been  continued  through  Vancouver  Island 


Appendix  I  335 

to  the  Pacific  as  the  boundary  line.  Again,  March  19,  1847,  in  a  letter 
to  Mrs.  Walker,  he  spoke  of  the  severe  winter  through  which  they 
had  just  passed.  They  had  no  flour  or  meal  for  six  weeks,  because 
the  mill  had  broken  down,  but  had  boiled  wheat,  corn,  potatoes,  beef 
and  onions.    A  score  or  more  of  people  had  thus  lived.     He  adds: 

"But  are  there  not  encouragements?  What  bright  crowns  yours 
will  be  if  you  are  faithful!  Five  or  six  or  ten  stars  in  your  eternal 
crown  is  no  small  reward.  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  feel  that  it  is 
not  proper  to  hold  out  such  things  as  a  reward  of  fidelity.  The  Scrip- 
tures hold  forth  such  inducements  in  abundance." 

To  his  brother  Samuel  13  years  old,  he  wrote  from  Dr.  Whitman's 
station,  May  9,  1847: 

"Tomorrow  I  may  start  over  to  the  Umatilla,  where  I  intend  to 
spend  some  time  in  learning  the  language  of  these  people,  among 
whom  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  stay,  perhaps  for  a  lifetime.  It 
is  not  at  all  improbable  that  I  may  go  this  summer  along  with  the 
Indians  after  buffalo,  some  seven  or  eight  hundred  miles.  It  is  thought 
this  will  be  the  best  method  of  acquiring  the  language,  which  is  the 
first  object  to  be  attained.  I  suppose  that  it  appears  very  strange  to 
you  to  think  that  I  should  think  of  living  here  all  my  life  among  a 
wild  and  uncivilized  people.  But  they  do  not  appear  to  me  half  so 
strange  and  uncouth  as  I  once  thought.  Nor  do  I  find  it  so  unpleas- 
ant and  lonesome  as  you  would  suppose.  When  I  meet  them  they 
appear  to  be  almost  like  brothers,  so  heartily  do  they  welcome  me. 
.  .  .  If,  by  denying  myself  the  enjoyments  of  this  world,  I  may  be 
the  means  of  instructing  any  of  these  benighted  heathen  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  way  of  salvation,  I  hope  I  may  be  satisfied." 

After  this  there  follows  good  Christian  advice  to  his  brother  about 
true  happiness,  both  in  this  world  and  the  next;  and  another  letter, 
written  the  next  day  to  his  brother  Calvin,  11  years  of  age,  speaks 
largely  of  the  same  subject.  Thus  he  labored  on  until  the  fall,  when 
he  was  at  Dr.  Whitman's  at  the  time  of  the  massacre.  The  account 
of  his  death  has  been  given  in  the  chapter  on  the  massacre. 

His  brother,  A.  T.  Rodgers,  then  in  the  Willamette,  joined  the 
volunteers  who  went  to  punish  the  murderers,  and  was  a  lieutenant 
during  this  war.      He  afterward  died  in  Idaho.1 

'Revised  from  an  article  by  the  author  In  the  Seattle  PoBt-Intelligenoer, 
Aug.  4,  1886. 


APPENDIX  J. 

Letter  and  Synopsis  of  Bill  by  Marcus  Whitman. 

In  1891,  through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  S.  J.  Parker,  of  Ithica,  N.  Y., 
the  following  letter  and  bill  were  found  at  Washington: 

"To  the  Hon.  James  M.  Porter, 

"Secretary  of  War.     Sir: — 

"In  compliance  with  the  request  you  did  me  the  honor  to  make 
last  winter  while  at  Washington,  I  herewith  transmit  to  you  the  syn- 
opsis of  a  bill  which,  if  it  could  be  adopted,  would,  according  to  my 
experience  and  observation,  prove  highly  conducive  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  United  States  generally;  to  Oregon,  where  I  have  resided 
more  than  seven  years  as  a  missionary;  and  to  the  Indian  tribes  that 
inhabit  the  intermediate  country. 

"The  government  will  now,  doubtless,  for  the  first  time,  be  ap- 
prised, through  you,  and  by  means  of  this  communication,  of  the  im- 
mense migration  of  families  to  Oregon,  which  has  taken  place  this 
year.  I  have,  since  our  interview,  been  instrumental  in  piloting  across 
the  route  described  in  the  accompanying  bill,  and  which  is  the  only 
eligible  wagon  road,  no  less  than  (200)  families,  consisting  of  one 
thousand  persons  of  both  sexes,  with  their  wagons,  amounting  in  all 
to  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty,  six  hundred  and  ninety-four 
oxen,  and  seven  hundred  and  seventy-three  loose  cattle. 

"The  emigrants  are  from  different  states,  but  principally  from 
Missouri,  Arkansas,  Illinois  and  New  York.  The  majority  of  them 
are  farmers,  lured  by  the  prospect  of  bounty  in  lands,  by  the  reported 
fertility  of  the  soil,  and  by  the  desire  to  be  first  among  those  who 
are  planting  our  institutions  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Among  them  are 
artisans  of  every  trade,  comprising  with  farmers,  the  very  best  mate- 
rial for  a  new  colony.  As  pioneers  these  people  have  undergone  in- 
credible hardships,  and  having  now  safely  passed  the  Blue  Mountain 
range,  with  their  wagons  and  effects,  have  established  a  durable  road 
from  Missouri  to  Oregon,  which  will  serve  to  mark  permanently  the 
route  for  larger  numbers  each  succeeding  year,  while  they  have  prac- 
tically demonstrated  that  wagons,  drawn  by  horses  or  oxen,  can  cross 
the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Columbia  river,  contrary  to  all  the  sin- 
ister assertions  of  all  those  who  pretend  it  to  be  impossible. 

"In  their  slow  progress  these  persons  have  encountered,  as  in  all 
former    instances   and    as   all    succeeding   emigrants    must,    if   this    or 


Appendix  J  337 

some  similar  bill  be  not  passed  by  Congress,  the  continual  fear  of 
Indian  aggression,  the  actual  loss,  through  them,  of  horses,  cattle, 
and  other  property,  and  the  great  labor  of  transporting  an  adequate 
amount  of  provisions  for  so  long  a  journey.  The  bill  herewith  pro- 
posed would,  in  a  great  measure,  lessen  these  inconveniences  by  the 
establishment  of  posts,  which,  while  (having)  the  possesed  power  to 
keep  the  Indians  in  check,  thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  mil- 
itary vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  traveller  by  day  and  by  night,  would 
be  able  to  furnish  them  in  transit  with  fresh  supplies  of  provisions, 
diminishing  the  original  burdens  of  the  emigrants,  and  finding  them 
a  ready  and  profitable  market  that  would,  in  my  opinion,  more  than 
suffice  to  defray  all  the  current  expenses  of  such  posts.  The  present 
party  is  supposed  to  have  expended  no  less  than  $2,000.00  at  Lara- 
mie's and  Bridger's  forts,  and  as  much  more  at  Fort  Hall  and  Fort 
Boise,  two  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  stations.  These  are  at 
present  the  only  stopping  places  in  a  journey  of  2,200  miles,  and  the 
only  places  where  additional  supplies  can  be  obtained,  even  at  the 
enormous  rate  of  charge,  called  mountain  prices:  i.  e.,  $50  the  hun- 
dred for  flour,  and  $50  the  hundred  for  coffee,  the  same  for  sugar, 
powder,  etc. 

"Many  cases  of  sickness  and  some  deaths  took  place  among  those 
who  accomplished  the  journey  this  season,  owing  in  a  great  measure 
to  the  uninterrupted  use  of  meat,  salt  and  fresh,  with  flour,  which 
constitutes  the  chief  articles  of  food  they  are  able  to  convey  on  their 
wagons,  and  this  could  be  obviated  by  the  vegetable  productions 
which  the  posts  in  contemplation  could  very  profitably  afford  them. 
Those  who  rely  on  hunting  as  an  auxiliary  support  are  at  present 
unable  to  have  their  arms  repaired  when  out  of  order;  horses  and 
oxen  become  tender  footed  and  require  to  be  shod  on  this  long  jour- 
ney, sometimes  repeatedly,  and  the  wagons  repaired  in  a  variety  of 
ways.  I  mention  these  as  valuable  incidents  to  the  proposed  measure, 
as  it  will  also  be  found  to  tend  in  many  other  incidental  ways  to  ben- 
efit the  migratory  population  of  the  United  States,  choosing  to  take 
this  direction,  and  on  these  accounts,  as  well  as  for  the  immediate 
use  of  the  posts  themselves,  they  ought  to  be  provided  with  the  nec- 
essary shops  and  mechanics,  which  would,  at  the  same  time,  exhibit 
the  several  branches  of  civilized  art  to  the  Indians. 

"The  outlay  in  the  first  instance  would  be  but  trifling.  Forts  like 
those  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  surrounded  by  walls  enclosing 
all  the  buildings,  and  constructed  almost  entirely  of  adobe,  or  sun- 
dried  bricks,  with  stone  foundations  only,  can  be  easily  and  cheaply 
erected. 

"There  are  very  eligible  places  for  as  many  of  these  as  (the)  gov- 
ernment will  find  necessary,  at  suitable  distance-,  nol  further  than 
one  or  two  hundred  miles  apart,  at  the  main  crossing  of  the  principal 
streams  that  now  form  impediments  to  the  journey,  and  consequently 
well    supplied    with    water,    having   alluvial    bottoms    of   a    rich    quality, 


338  Appendix  J 

and  generally  well  wooded.  If  I  might  be  allowed  to  suggest  the  best 
sites  for  such  posts,  my  personal  knowledge  and  observation  enable 
me  to  recommend,  first,  the  main  crossing  of  the  Kansas  river,  where 
a  ferry  would  be  very  convenient  to  the  traveller,  and  profitable  to 
the  station  having  it  in  charge;  next,  and  about  eight  miles  distant, 
the  crossing  of  the  Blue  river,  where,  in  times  of  unusual  freshet,  a 
ferry  would  be  in  like  manner  useful;  next,  and  distant  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  last  mentioned,  the 
Little  Blue,  or  Republican  Fork,  of  the  Kansas;  next,  and  from  sixty 
to  one  hundred  miles  from  the  last  mentioned,  the  point  of  intersec- 
tion of  the  Platte  river;  next,  and  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  distant  from  the  last  mentioned  crossing  of  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Platte  river;  next,  and  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  or 
two  hundred  miles  distant  from  the  last  mentioned,  Horseshoe  creek, 
which  is  about  forty  miles  west  of  Laramie's  Fork  in  the  Black  Hills. 
Here  is  a  fine  creek  for  mills  and  irrigation,  good  land  for  cultivation, 
fine  pasturage,  timber  and  stone  for  building.  Other  locations  may 
be  had  along  the  Platte  and  Sweetwater,  on  the  Green  river,  or 
Black's  Fork  of  the  Bear  river,  near  the  Great  Soda  Springs,  near 
Fort  Hall,  and  at  suitable  places  down  to  the  Columbia.  These  local- 
ities are  all  of  the  best  description,  so  situated  as  to  hold  a  ready  in- 
tercourse with  the  Indians  in  their  passage  to  and  from  the  ordinary 
buffalo  hunting  grounds,  and  in  themselves  so  well  situated  in  all 
other  respects  as  to  be  desirable  to  private  enterprise  if  the  usual 
advantage  of  trade  existed.  Any  of  the  farms  above  indicated  would 
be  deemed  extremely  valuable  in  the  states. 

"The  government  cannot  long  overlook  the  importance  of  super- 
intending the  savages  that  endanger  this  line  of  travel,  and  that  are 
not  yet  in  treaty  with  it.  Some  of  these  are  already  known  to  be 
led  by  desperate  white  men  and  mongrels,  who  form  bandits  in  the 
most  difficult  passes,  and  are  at  all  times  ready  to  cut  off  some  lagging 
emigrant  in  the  rear  of  the  party,  or  some  adventurous  one,  who  may 
proceed  a  few  miles  in  advance,  or  at  night  to  make  a  descent  upon 
the  sleeping  camp,  and  carry  away  or  kill  horses  and  cattle.  This  is 
the  case  even  now,  in  the  commencement  of  our  western  immigra- 
tion, and  when  it  comes  to  be  more  generally  known  that  large  quan- 
tities of  valuable  property,  and  considerable  sums  of  money,  are 
yearly  carried  over  this  desolate  region,  it  is  to  be  feared  an  organ- 
ized banditti  will  be  instituted.  The  posts  in  contemplation  would 
effectually  counteract  this.  For  that  purpose  they  need  not,  nor 
ought  not  to  be  military  establishments.  The  trading  posts  in  this 
country  have  never  been  of  such  a  character,  and  yet,  with  very  few 
men  in  them,  have  for  years  kept  the  surrounding  Indians  in  the  most 
pacific  disposition,  so  that  the  traveler  feels  secure  from  molestation 
upon  approaching  Fort  Laramie,  Bridger's  Fort,  Fort  Hall,  etc.  The 
same  can  be  obtained  without  any  considerable  expenditure  by  the 
government,    while,    by    investing    officers    in    charge    with    competent 


Appendix  J  339 

authority,  all  evil  disposed  white  men,  refugees  from  justice,  or  dis- 
charged vagabonds  from  the  trading  posts,  might  be  easily  removed 
from  among  the  Indians  and  sent  to  the  appropriate  states  for  trial. 
The  Hudson  Bay  Company's  system  of  rewards  among  the  savages 
would  soon  enable  posts  to  root  out  these  desperadoes.  A  direct  and 
friendly  intercourse  with  all  the  tribes,  even  to  the  Pacific,  might  be 
thus  maintained.  The  government  would  become  more  intimately 
acquainted  with  them  and  they  with  the  government,  and  instead  of 
sending  to  the  state  courts  a  manifesly  guilty  Indian  to  be  arraigned 
before  a  distant  tribunal,  acquitted  for  the  want  of  testimony  by  the 
technicalities  of  lawyers  and  of  laws  unknown  to  them,  and  sent  back 
into  this  wilderness  loaded  with  presents  as  an  inducement  to  further 
crimes,  the  posts  should  be  enabled  to  execute  summary  justice  as 
if  the  criminal  had  already  been  condemned  by  his  tribe,  because 
they  will  be  sure  to  deliver  up  none  but  the  party  whom  they  know 
to  be  guilty.  They  will  in  that  way  receive  the  trial  of  their  peers, 
and  secure  within  themselves,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  if  not  tech- 
nically, the  trial  by  jury,  yet  the  spirit  of  that  trial.  There  are  many 
powers  which  ought  to  reside  in  some  person  on  this  extended  route 
for  the  convenience  and  even  necessity  of  the  public.  In  this  the 
emigrants  and  the  people  of  Oregon  are  no  more  interested  than  the 
resident  inhabitants  of  .the  states.  At  present,  no  person  is  author- 
ized to  administer  an  oath  or  legally  attest  a  fact  from  the  western 
line  of  Missouri  to  the  Pacific.  The  emigrant  cannot  dispose  of  his 
property  at  home,  although  an  opportunity  ever  so  advantageous  to 
him  should  occur  after  he  passes  the  western  border  of  Missouri,  and 
no  one  can  here  make  legal  demand  and  protest  of  a  promissory  note 
or  bill  of  exchange.  No  one  can  secure  the  valuable  testimony  of  a 
mountaineer  or  of  an  emigrating  witness  after  he  has  entered  this,  at 
present,  lawless  country.  Causes  do  exist,  and  will  continually  arise, 
in  which  the  private  rights  of  citizens  are,  and  will  be,  seriously 
prejudiced  by  such  an  utter  absence  of  legal  authority.  A  contraband 
trade  from  Mexico,  the  introduction  from  that  country  of  liquors  to 
be  sold  among  the  Indians  west  of  the  Kansas  river,  is  already  car- 
ried on  with  the  mountain  trappers,  and  very  soon  the  teas,  silks, 
nankins,  spices,  camphor  and  opium  of  the  East  Indies  will  find  their 
way,  duty  free,  through  Oregon,  across  the  mountains  and  into  the 
states,  unless  custom  house  officers  along  this  line  find  an  interest  in 
intercepting  them. 

"Your  familiarity  with  the  government  policy,  duties  and  interest, 
•ender  it  unnecessary  for  me  to  more  than  hint  at  the  several  objects 
intended  by  the  enclosed  bill,  and  any  enlargement  upon  the  topics 
here  suggested,  as  inducements  to  its  adoption,  would  be  quite  super- 
fluous, if  not  impertinent.  The  very  existence  of  such  a  system  as 
the  one  above  recommended  suggest  the  utility  of  postoffice  and 
mail  arrangements,  which  it  is  t lie  wish  of  all  who  now  live  in  Oregon 
to  have  granted  to  them,  and  I  need  only  add   that    the   contracts  for 


340  Appendix  J 

this  purpose  will  be  readily  taken  at  reasonable  rates  for  transporting 
the  mail  across  from  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  in  forty 
days,  with  fresh  horses  at  each  of  the  contemplated  posts.  The  ruling 
policy  proposed  regards  the  Indians  as  the  police  of  the  country  who 
are  to  be  relied  upon  to  keep  the  peace,  not  only  for  themselves,  but 
to  expel  lawless  white  men  and  prevent  banditti,  under  the  salutary 
guidance  of  the  superintendents  of  the  several  posts,  aided  by  a  well- 
directed  system  of  bounty  to  induce  the  punishment  of  crime.  It  will 
be  only  after  a  failure  by  these  means  to  procure  the  delivery  or  pun- 
ishment of  violent,  lawless  and  savage  acts  of  aggression,  that  a  band 
or  tribe  should  be  regarded  as  conspirators  against  the  peace,  and 
punished  accordingly  by  force  of  arms. 

"Hoping  that  these  suggestions  may  meet  your  approbation  and 
conduce  to  the  future  interest  of  our  growing  colony,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  "MARCUS  WHITMAN." 

TITLE  OF  THE   PROPOSED   ACT. 

A  bill  to  promote  safe  intercourse  with  the  Territory  of  Oregon, 
to  suppress  violent  acts  of  aggression  on  the  part  of  certain  Indian 
tribes  west  of  the  Indian  Territory,  Neosha,  better  to  protect  the 
revenue,  for  the  transportation  of  the  mail,  and  for  other  purposes. 

Synopsis  of  the  Act. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled. — That 
from  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act.  there  shall  be  established  at 
suitable  distances  and  in  convenient  and  proper  places,  to  be  selected 
by  the  President,  a  chain  of  agricultural  posts,  or  farming  stations, 
extending  at  intervals  from  the  present  most  usual  crossing  of  the 
Kansas  river  west  of  the  western  boundary  of  the  State  of  Missouri, 
thence  ascending  the  Platte  river  on  its  southern  border,  thence 
through  the  valley  of  the  Sweetwater  to  Fort  Hall,  and  thence  to  the 
settlements  of  the  Willamette  in  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  which  said 
posts  shall  have  for  their  object,  to  set  examples  of  civilized  industry 
to  the  several  Indian  tribes,  to  keep  them  in  proper  subjection  to  the 
laws  of  the  United  States,  to  suppress  violent  and  lawless  acts  along 
the  said  line  of  frontier,  to  facilitate  the  passage  of  troops  and  muni- 
tions of  war  into  and  out  of  the  said  Territory  of  Oregon,  and  the 
transportation   of  the   mail   as   hereinafter  provided. 

Section  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  there  shall  reside  at 
each  of  the  said  posts  one  superintendent,  having  charge  thereof, 
with  full  power  to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  this  act.  subject 
always  to  such  instruction  as  the  President  may  impose,  one  deputy 
superintendent  to  act  in  like  manner  in  case  of  the  death,  removal  or 
absence  of  the  superintendent,  and  such  other  artificiers  and  laborers, 
not  exceeding  twenty  in  number,  as  the  said  superintendent  may  deem 


Appendix  J  337 

some  similar  bill  be  not  passed  by  Congress,  the  continual  fear  of 
Indian  aggression,  the  actual  loss,  through  them,  of  horses,  cattle, 
and  other  property,  and  the  great  labor  of  transporting  an  adequate 
amount  of  provisions  for  so  long  a  journey.  The  bill  herewith  pro- 
posed would,  in  a  great  measure,  lessen  these  inconveniences  by  the 
establishment  of  posts,  which,  while  (having)  the  possesed  power  to 
keep  the  Indians  in  check,  thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  mil- 
itary vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  traveller  by  day  and  by  night,  would 
be  able  to  furnish  them  in  transit  with  fresh  supplies  of  provisions, 
diminishing  the  original  burdens  of  the  emigrants,  and  finding  them 
a  ready  and  profitable  market  that  would,  in  my  opinion,  more  than 
suffice  to  defray  all  the  current  expenses  of  such  posts.  The  present 
party  is  supposed  to  have  expended  no  less  than  $2,000.00  at  Lara- 
mie's and  Bridger's  forts,  and  as  much  more  at  Fort  Hall  and  Fort 
Boise,  two  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  stations.  These  are  at 
present  the  only  stopping  places  in  a  journey  of  2,200  miles,  and  the 
only  places  where  additional  supplies  can  be  obtained,  even  at  the 
enormous  rate  of  charge,  called  mountain  prices:  i.  e.,  $50  the  hun- 
dred for  flour,  and  $50  the  hundred  for  coffee,  the  same  for  sugar, 
powder,  etc. 

"Many  cases  of  sickness  and  some  deaths  took  place  among  those 
who  accomplished  the  journey  this  season,  owing  in  a  great  measure 
to  the  uninterrupted  use  of  meat,  salt  and  fresh,  with  flour,  which 
constitutes  the  chief  articles  of  food  they  are  able  to  convey  on  their 
wagons,  and  this  could  be  obviated  by  the  vegetable  productions 
which  the  posts  in  contemplation  could  very  profitably  afford  them. 
Those  who  rely  on  hunting  as  an  auxiliary  support  are  at  present 
unable  to  have  their  arms  repaired  when  out  of  order;  horses  and 
oxen  become  tender  footed  and  require  to  be  shod  on  this  long  jour- 
ney, sometimes  repeatedly,  and  the  wagons  repaired  in  a  variety  of 
ways.  I  mention  these  as  valuable  incidents  to  the  proposed  measure, 
as  it  will  also  be  found  to  tend  in  many  other  incidental  ways  to  ben- 
efit the  migratory  population  of  the  United  States,  choosing  to  take 
this  direction,  and  on  these  accounts,  as  well  as  for  the  immediate 
use  of  the  posts  themselves,  they  ought  to  be  provided  with  the  nec- 
essary shops  and  mechanics,  which  would,  at  the  same  time,  exhibit 
the  several  branches  of  civilized  art  to  the   Indians. 

"The  outlay  in  the  first  instance  would  be  but  trifling.  Forts  like 
those  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  surrounded  by  walls  enclosing 
all  the  buildings,  and  constructed  almost  entirely  of  adobe,  or  sun- 
dried  bricks,  with  stone  foundations  only,  can  be  easily  and  cheaply 
erected. 

"There  are  very  eligible  places  for  as  many  of  these  as  (tin)  gov- 
ernment will  find  necessary,  at  suitable  distances,  not  further  than 
one  or  two  hundred  miles  apart,  at  the  main  crossing  of  the  principal 
streams  that  now  form  impediments  to  the  journey,  ami  consequently 
well    supplied    with    water,   having    alluvial    bottoms    of   a    rich    quality, 


338  Appendix  J 

and  generally  well  wooded.  If  I  might  be  allowed  to  suggest  the  best 
sites  for  such  posts,  my  personal  knowledge  and  observation  enable 
me  to  recommend,  first,  the  main  crossing  of  the  Kansas  river,  where 
a  ferry  would  be  very  convenient  to  the  traveller,  and  profitable  to 
the  station  having  it  in  charge;  next,  and  about  eight  miles  distant, 
the  crossing  of  the  Blue  river,  where,  in  times  of  unusual  freshet,  a 
ferry  would  be  in  like  manner  useful;  next,  and  distant  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  last  mentioned,  the 
Little  Blue,  or  Republican  Fork,  of  the  Kansas;  next,  and  from  sixty 
to  one  hundred  miles  from  the  last  mentioned,  the  point  of  intersec- 
tion of  the  Platte  river;  next,  and  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  distant  from  the  last  mentioned  crossing  of  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Platte  river;  next,  and  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  or 
two  hundred  miles  distant  from  the  last  mentioned,  Horseshoe  creek, 
which  is  about  forty  miles  west  of  Laramie's  Fork  in  the  Black  Hills. 
Here  is  a  fine  creek  for  mills  and  irrigation,  good  land  for  cultivation, 
fine  pasturage,  timber  and  stone  for  building.  Other  locations  may 
be  had  along  the  Platte  and  Sweetwater,  on  the  Green  river,  or 
Black's  Fork  of  the  Bear  river,  near  the  Great  Soda  Springs,  near 
Fort  Hall,  and  at  suitable  places  down  to  the  Columbia.  These  local- 
ities are  all  of  the  best  description,  so  situated  as  to  hold  a  ready  in- 
tercourse with  the  Indians  in  their  passage  to  and  from  the  ordinary 
buffalo  hunting  grounds,  and  in  themselves  so  well  situated  in  all 
other  respects  as  to  be  desirable  to  private  enterprise  if  the  usual 
advantage  of  trade  existed.  Any  of  the  farms  above  indicated  would 
be  deemed  extremely  valuable  in  the  states. 

"The  government  cannot  long  overlook  the  importance  of  super- 
intending the  savages  that  endanger  this  line  of  travel,  and  that  are 
not  yet  in  treaty  with  it.  Some  of  these  are  already  known  to  be 
led  by  desperate  white  men  and  mongrels,  who  form  bandits  in  the 
most  difficult  passes,  and  are  at  all  times  ready  to  cut  off  some  lagging 
emigrant  in  the  rear  of  the  party,  or  some  adventurous  one,  who  may 
proceed  a  few  miles  in  advance,  or  at  night  to  make  a  descent  upon 
the  sleeping  camp,  and  carry  away  or  kill  horses  and  cattle.  This  is 
the  case  even  now,  in  the  commencement  of  our  western  immigra- 
tion, and  when  it  comes  to  be  more  generally  known  that  large  quan- 
tities of  valuable  property,  and  considerable  sums  of  money,  are 
yearly  carried  over  this  desolate  region,  it  is  to  be  feared  an  organ- 
ized banditti  will  be  instituted.  The  posts  in  contemplation  would 
effectually  counteract  this.  For  that  purpose  they  need  not,  nor 
ought  not  to  be  military  establishments.  The  trading  posts  in  this 
country  have  never  been  of  such  a  character,  and  yet,  with  very  few 
men  in  them,  have  for  years  kept  the  surrounding  Indians  in  the  most 
pacific  disposition,  so  that  the  traveler  feels  secure  from  molestation 
upon  approaching  Fort  Laramie,  Bridger's  Fort,  Fort  Hall,  etc.  The 
same  can  be  obtained  without  any  considerable  expenditure  by  the 
government,    while,    by    investing    officers    in    charge    with    competent 


Appendix  J  339 

authority,  all  evil  disposed  white  men,  refugees  from  justice,  or  dis- 
charged vagabonds  from  the  trading  posts,  might  be  easily  removed 
from  among  the  Indians  and  sent  to  the  appropriate  states  for  trial. 
The  Hudson  Bay  Company's  system  of  rewards  among  the  savages 
would  soon  enable  posts  to  root  out  these  desperadoes.  A  direct  and 
friendly  intercourse  with  all  the  tribes,  even  to  the  Pacific,  might  be 
thus  maintained.  The  government  would  become  more  intimately 
acquainted  with  them  and  they  with  the  government,  and  instead  of 
sending  to  the  state  courts  a  manifesly  guilty  Indian  to  be  arraigned 
before  a  distant  tribunal,  acquitted  for  the  want  of  testimony  by  the 
technicalities  of  lawyers  and  of  laws  unknown  to  them,  and  sent  back 
into  this  wilderness  loaded  with  presents  as  an  inducement  to  further 
crimes,  the  posts  should  be  enabled  to  execute  summary  justice  as 
if  the  criminal  had  already  been  condemned  by  his  tribe,  because 
they  will  be  sure  to  deliver  up  none  but  the  party  whom  they  know 
to  be  guilty.  They  will  in  that  way  receive  the  trial  of  their  peers, 
and  secure  within  themselves,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  if  not  tech- 
nically, the  trial  by  jury,  yet  the  spirit  of  that  trial.  There  are  many 
powers  which  ought  to  reside  in  some  person  on  this  extended  route 
for  the  convenience  and  even  necessity  of  the  public.  In  this  the 
emigrants  and  the  people  of  Oregon  are  no  more  interested  than  the 
resident  inhabitants  of  the  states.  At  present,  no  person  is  author- 
ized to  administer  an  oath  or  legally  attest  a  fact  from  the  western 
line  of  Missouri  to  the  Pacific.  The  emigrant  cannot  dispose  of  his 
property  at  home,  although  an  opportunity  ever  so  advantageous  to 
him  should  occur  after  he  passes  the  western  border  of  Missouri,  and 
no  one  can  here  make  legal  demand  and  protest  of  a  promissory  note 
or  bill  of  exchange.  No  one  can  secure  the  valuable  testimony  of  a 
mountaineer  or  of  an  emigrating  witness  after  he  has  entered  this,  at 
present,  lawless  country.  Causes  do  exist,  and  will  continually  arise, 
in  which  the  private  rights  of  citizens  are,  and  will  be,  seriously 
prejudiced  by  such  an  utter  absence  of  legal  authority.  A  contraband 
trade  from  Mexico,  the  introduction  from  that  country  of  liquors  to 
be  sold  among  the  Indians  west  of  the  Kansas  river,  is  already  car- 
ried on  with  the  mountain  trappers,  and  very  soon  the  teas,  silks, 
nankins,  spices,  camphor  and  opium  of  the  East  Indies  will  find  their 
way,  duty  free,  through  Oregon,  across  the  mountains  and  into  the 
states,  unless  custom  house  officers  along  this  line  find  an  interest  in 
intercepting  them. 

"Your  familiarity  with  the  government  policy,  duties  and  interest, 
■ender  it  unnecessary  for  me  to  more  than  hint  at  the  several  objects 
intended  by  the  enclosed  bill,  and  any  enlargement  upon  the  topics 
here  suggested,  as  inducements  to  its  adoption,  would  be  quite  super- 
fluous, if  not  impertinent.  The  very  existence  of  such  a  system  as 
the  one  above  recommended  suggest  the  utility  of  postoffice  and 
mail  arrangements,  which  it  is  the  wish  "f  all  who  now  live  in  Oregon 
to  have  granted  to  them,  and   I   need  only  add  that   the  contracts  for 


340  Appendix  J 

this  purpose  will  be  readily  taken  at  reasonable  rates  for  transporting 
the  mail  across  from  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  in  forty- 
days,  with  fresh  horses  at  each  of  the  contemplated  posts.  The  ruling 
policy  proposed  regards  the  Indians  as  the  police  of  the  country  who 
are  to  be  relied  upon  to  keep  the  peace,  not  only  for  themselves,  but 
to  expel  lawless  white  men  and  prevent  banditti,  under  the  salutary 
guidance  of  the  superintendents  of  the  several  posts,  aided  by  a  well- 
directed  system  of  bounty  to  induce  the  punishment  of  crime.  It  will 
be  only  after  a  failure  by  these  means  to  procure  the  delivery  or  pun- 
ishment of  violent,  lawless  and  savage  acts  of  aggression,  that  a  band 
or  tribe  should  be  regarded  as  conspirators  against  the  peace,  and 
punished  accordingly  by  force  of  arms. 

"Hoping  that  these  suggestions  may  meet  your  approbation  and 
conduce  to  the  future  interest  of  our  growing  colony,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  "MARCUS  WHITMAN." 

TITLE   OF  THE   PROPOSED   ACT. 

A  bill  to  promote  safe  intercourse  with  the  Territory  of  Oregon, 
to  suppress  violent  acts  of  aggression  on  the  part  of  certain  Indian 
tribes  west  of  the  Indian  Territory,  Neosha,  better  to  protect  the 
revenue,  for  the  transportation  of  the  mail,  and  for  other  purposes. 

Synopsis  of  the  Act. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled. — That 
from  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  there  shall  be  established  at 
suitable  distances  and  in  convenient  and  proper  places,  to  be  selected 
by  the  President,  a  chain  of  agricultural  posts,  or  farming  stations, 
extending  at  intervals  from  the  present  most  usual  crossing  of  the 
Kansas  river  west  of  the  western  boundary  of  the  State  of  Missouri, 
thence  ascending  the  Platte  river  on  its  southern  border,  thence 
through  the  valley  of  the  Sweetwater  to  Fort  Hall,  and  thence  to  the 
settlements  of  the  Willamette  in  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  which  said 
posts  shall  have  for  their  object,  to  set  examples  of  civilized  industry 
to  the  several  Indian  tribes,  to  keep  them  in  proper  subjection  to  the 
laws  of  the  United  States,  to  suppress  violent  and  lawless  acts  along 
the  said  line  of  frontier,  to  facilitate  the  passage  of  troops  and  muni- 
tions of  war  into  and  out  of  the  said  Territory  of  Oregon,  and  the 
transportation   of  the   mail   as   hereinafter  provided. 

Section  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  there  shall  reside  at 
each  of  the  said  posts  one  superintendent,  having  charge  thereof, 
with  full  power  to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  this  act.  subject 
always  to  such  instruction  as  the  President  may  impose,  one  deputy 
superintendent  to  act  in  like  manner  in  case  of  the  death,  removal  or 
absence  of  the  superintendent,  and  such  other  artificiers  and  laborers, 
not  exceeding  twenty  in  number,  as  the  said  superintendent  may  deem 


Appendix  J  341 

necessary  for  the  conduct  and  safety  of  the  said  posts,  all  of  whom 
shall  be  subject  to  his  appointment  and  liable  to  his  removal. 

Section  3.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
the  President  to  cause  to  be  erected  at  each  of  the  said  posts  suitable 
buildings  for  the  purposes  herein  contemplated,  to-\vit:  One  main 
dwelling  house,  one  store  house.,  one  blacksmith  and  gunsmith  shop, 
and  one  carpenter  shop,  with  such  and  so  many  other  buildings  for 
storing  the  products  and  supplies  of  the  said  posts  as  he  may  from 
time  to  time  deem  expedient.  To  supply  the  same  with  all  necessary 
implements  of  mechanical  art  and  agricultural  labor  incident  thereto, 
and  with  all  such  other  articles  as  he  may  judge  requisite  and  proper 
for  the  safety,  defense  and  comfort  thereof.  To  cause  said  posts,  in 
his  discretion,  to  be  visited  by  detachments  of  troops  stationed  on 
the  Western  frontiers,  to  suppress,  through  the  said  posts,  the  sale 
of  munitions  of  war  to  the  Indian  tribes  in  case  of  hostilities,  and 
annually  to  lay  before  Congress  at  its  general  session  full  returns, 
verified  by  the  oaths  of  the  said  several  superintendents,  of  the  several 
acts  by  them  performed,  and  of  the  conditions  of  the  said  posts,  with 
the  income  and  expenditures  growing  out  of  the  same  respectively. 

Section  4.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  superintendents 
shall  be  appointed  by  the  President,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  con- 
sent of  the  Senate,  for  the  term  of  four  years,  with  a  salary  of  $2,000, 
payable  out  of  any  moneys  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropri- 
ated. That  they  shall  respectively  take  an  oath  before  the  district 
judge  of  the  United  States  for  the  Western  District  of  Missouri, 
faithfully  to  discharge  the  duties  imposed  on  them  in  and  by  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act,  and  give  a  bond  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  his  successor  in  office  and  assigns,  with  sufficient  secur- 
ity, to  be  approved  by  the  said  judge,  in  at  least  the  penalty  of  $25,000, 
conditioned  to  indemnify  the  President,  his  successors  or  assigns,  for 
any  unlawful  acts  by  them  performed,  or  injuries  committed  by  virtue 
cf  their  office,  which  said  bonds  may  be  at  any  time  assigned  for 
prosecution  against  the  said  respective  superintendents  and  their 
sureties,  upon  application  to  the  said  judge  at  the  instance  of  the 
United  States  district  attorney,  or  of  any  private  party  aggrieved. 

Section  5.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
said  superintendents  to  cause  the  soil  adjacent  to  the  said  posts  in 
extent  not  exceeding  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  to  be  cultivated  in 
a  farmer-like  manner,  and  to  produce  thereon  such  articles  of  culture 
as  in  their  judgment  shall  be  deemed  the  most  profitable  and  available 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  said  posts,  for  the  supply  of  the  troops 
and  other  government  agents  which  may  from  time  to  time  resort 
thereto,  and  to  render  the  products  aforesaid  adequate  to  defraying 
?11  expenses  of  labor  in  and  about  the  said  posts,  and  the  salary  of 
the  said  deputy  superintendent,  without  resort  to  tin-  treasury  of  the 
United    States,   remitting   to   the   Secretary   of   the   Treasury   yearly   a 


342  Appendix  J 

sworn  statement  of  the  same,  with  the  surplus  moneys,  if  any  there  be. 

Section  6.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  several  super- 
intendents of  the  posts  shall  ex-officio  be  superintendents  of  Indian 
affairs,  west  of  the  Indian  Territory,  Neosha,  subordinate  to  and  un- 
der the  full  control  and  supervision  of  the  Commissioner  General  of 
Indian  Affairs  at  Washington.  That  they  shall,  by  virtue  of  their 
offices,  be  conservators  of  the  peace,  with  full  powers  to  the  extent 
hereinafter  prescribed,  in  all  cases  of  crimes  and  misdemeanors, 
whether  committed  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  or  by  Indians 
within  the  frontier  line  aforesaid.  That  they  shall  have  power  to 
administer  oath,  to  be  valid  in  the  several  courts;  to  take  acknowl- 
edgment of  deeds  and  other  specialties  in  writing,  to  take  the  probate 
of  wills  and  testaments  executed  upon  the  said  frontier,  and  of  which 
the  testators  shall  have  died  in  transit  between  the  State  of  Missouri 
and  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  to  do  and  certify  all  notarial  acts,  and 
to  perform  the  ceremony  of  marriage  with  as  legal  effect  as  if  the 
several  acts  above  enumerated  had  been  performed  by  the  magis- 
trates of  any  of  the  states  having  power  to  perform  the  same.  That 
they  shall  have  the  power  to  arrest  and  remove  from  the  line  afore- 
said all  disorderly  white  persons  and  all  persons,  inciting  the  Indians 
to  hostilities,  and  to  surrender  up  all  fugitives  from  justice,  upon  the 
requisition  of  the  Governor  of  any  of  the  states;  that  they  shall  have 
power  to  demand  of  any  of  the  several  tribes  within  the  said  frontier 
line  the  surrender  of  any  Indian  or  Indians  committing  acts  in  con- 
travention of  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  in  case  of  such  sur- 
render to  inflict  punishment  thereon,  according  to  the  tenor  and 
effect  of  the  said  laws  without  further  trial,  presuming  such  offending 
Indian  or  Indians  to  have  received  the  trial  and  condemnation  of  the 
tribe  to  which  he  or  they  belong;  to  intercept  and  seize  all  arti- 
cles of  contraband  trade,  whether  introduced  into  their  jurisdiction  in 
violation  of  the  acts,  imposing  duties  on  imports  or  of  the  acts  to 
regulate  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  several  Indian  tribes,  to  trans- 
mit the  same  to  the  marshal  of  the  Western  District  of  Missouri,  to- 
gether with  the  proofs  necessary  for  the  confiscation  thereof,  and  in 
every  such  case  the  superintendents  shall  be  entitled  to  and  receive 
one-half  of  the  sale  value  of  the  said  confiscated  articles,  and  the 
other  half  be  disposed  of  as  in  like  cases  arising  under  the  existing 
revenue  laws. 

Section  7.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  several  superin- 
tendents shall  be  entitled,  in  addition  to  the  salary  hereinbefore  grant- 
ed, to  the  following  prequisites  and  fees  of  office,  to-wit:  For  the 
acknowledgement  of  all  deeds  and  other  written  specialties,  the  sum 
of  one  dollar;  for  the  administration  of  all  oaths,  twenty-five  cents; 
for  the  authentication  of  all  written  instruments,  one  dollar;  for  the 
perpetuation  of  all  testimony  to  be  used  in  the  United  States  courts, 
by  the  folio,  fifty  cents;  for  the  probate  of  all  wills  and  testaments, 
by  the  folio,  fifty  cents;    for  all  other  writing  done  by  the  folio,  fifty 


Appendix  J  343 

cents;  for  solemnizing  marriage,  ten  dollars,  including  the  certificate 
to  be  given  to  the  parties;  for  the  surrender  of  fugitives  from  justice, 
in  addition  to  the  necessary  costs  and  expenses  of  arrest  and  deten- 
tion, which  shall  be  verified  to  the  demanding  governor,  by  the  affi- 
davit of  the  superintendent,  ten  dollars. 

Section  9.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  superintend- 
ents shall,  by  virtue  of  their  offices,  be  postmasters  at  the  several  sta- 
tions for  which  they  are  appointed,  and  as  such  shall  be  required  to 
facilitate  the  transportation  of  the  mail  in  its  transit  to  and  from  the 
Territory  of  Oregon  and  the  nearest  postoffice  within  the  State  of 
Missouri,  subject  to  all  the  regulations  of  the  Postoffice  Department, 
and  with  all  the  immunities  and  privileges  of  the  postmasters  in  the 
several  states,  except  that  no  additional  compensation  shall  be  allowed 
them  for  such  services,  and  it  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  the  Post- 
master General  to  cause  proposals  to  be  issued  for  the  transportation 
of  the  mail  along  the  line  of  said  posts  to  and  from  the  said  territory, 
within  six  months  after  the  passage  of  this  act. 

Section  10.     And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  sum  of  

thousand  dollars  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  appropriated  out  of  any 
moneys  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated,  for  the  purposes 
of  carrying  into  effect  the  several  provisions  of  this  act. 

(Endorsement.) 

Marcus  Whitman,  enc.  synopsis  of  a  bill,  with  his  views  in  refer- 
ence to  import,  of  the  Oregon  Terry.     War  382.     Rec.  June  22-44. 

S. 

While  this  bill  did  not  pass,  yet  the  ideas  here  presented  were  con- 
stantly in  his  mind.  October  16,  1847,  a  short  time  before  his  death, 
he  had  his  friend,  Andrew  Rodgers,  write  a  similar  bill  but  shorter, 
which  was  sent  to  his  uncle.  It  was  directed  to  "The  Honorable  the 
Secretary  of  War,  to  the  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs  and  Oregon, 
in  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States." 
Mr.  Rodgers  wrote:  "It  is  Dr.  Whitman's  wish  that  you  should  use 
this  document  in  any  way  which  you  may  think  useful.  If  you  could 
copy  it  and  send  it  to  some  of  the  members  of  Congress,  or  other  in- 
fluential men,  it  will  be  well,  and  afterward,  if  not  noticed  publicly, 
send  it  to  some  newspaper  for  publication."  In  connection  with  it  he 
presented  fifteen  reasons  in  favor  of  it.1 

'Letter  of  Miss  I.  I.  Rodgers  of  Monmouth.  111.,  a  sister  of  Andrew  Rodgers, 
to  the  author,  dated  Jan.   18,  1892. 


INDEX 


Abernethy,    Gov.    George,    arri- 
val of,  125 
Adams,  John  Q.,  adverse  report 

of.    192 
American     Companies,     defeats 
of.  227 
Company,  end  of,  147 
joined  by  Whitman  and   Par- 
ker, 28 
pledge  of  protection  from,  32 
Anderson,  Alex.  J.,  President  of 

Whitman  Seminary,  293 
Applegate,      Jesse,      tribute      to 
Whitman,  216-7 
work  of,  208 
Archer,  Mr.,  difficulties  in  reach- 
ing Willamette,  190 
Ashburton     Treaty,     references 

to,    154,    185,    235 
Atkinson.  Senator  D.  R.,  speech 
of,    196 
Rev.  G.  H.,  leadership  of,  293 
letter   of,   202 

B 

Baker.  J.,  letter  relating  to  im- 
migration 1843,  221 

Baptism,  missionaries'  children, 
103 

Barrows.      Rev.     William,     evi- 
dence of,  157,  169 
regarding    Whitman's    wagon, 
302 

Benton,  Senator,  in  re  Oregon 
question,  191,  192,  207,  231, 
232 

Berryman.  Rev.,  superintendent 
Methodist  mission.  181 

Bewley,  Miss,  taken  to  Indian 
lodge.  287 


Blanchet,    Rev.    A.    M.    A.,    ap- 
pointed    Bishop     at     Walla 
Walla,  277 
Rev.    F.    N.,    appointed   Arch- 
bishop,  277 
arrival  of,  109 
Boise,  Fort,  wagon  left.  44 
R.    P.,    in   favor   of   Whitman, 
203 
Bourne,      Edward      G.,      denies 
Whitman's  influence,  198 
mistakes   of,   241-247 
Brouillet,  Very  Rev.  J.  B..  state- 
ments   regarding,    138,    250, 
266.  278,  287 
Burnett,  H.  P.,  work  of,  208 


Catholics,    regarding,    109,    110, 
271,    276 

Catlin,  George,  opinion  of,  46 

Cayuse,    estimated    number    of, 
96 
Whitman's   account   of,  97-9 

Cholera,  breaks  out,  28 

Chamberlain.    Rev.    P.    B.,    ad- 
dress  of,  292 

Clark.   Rev.   Harvey,   arrival   of, 
120 
Hon.    A.   S.,   regarding   Whit- 
man's  policy,  232 

Clatsop,  mission  begun,  123 

Colbert,  G.  F..  in  favor  of  Whit- 
man,  20.'', 

Condon,  Prof.  Thomas,  in  favor 
of  Whitman.  203 

Crawford,      Captain      Medorem, 
describes   Whitman,   127 

D 

Dalles,  The,  mission  transferred 
to  the  American  Board,  142 


346 


Ind 


ex 


Demers,    Bishop    Modeste,   arri- 
val of,  109 
Sent  to  Nisqually,  275 

De    Smet,    Father,    sketches    of, 
275 

Drayton,  Joseph,  description  of 
Waiilatpu,  122 

Dye.  Mrs.  E.  E.,  poem  by,  162 


Edwards,  P.  L.,  Lee's  associate, 

27 
Eells,   Rev.   Cushing,  arrival   of, 
105 
obtains  charter,  291 
plans   monument,   290 
testimony  of,  165.  184 
Hon.    Edwin,    bill    for    monu- 
ment,  294 
Rev.     Myron,     favors     claims, 
247 
Emigrations,  128,  228-9 
Emigrants,  letters   from,  211 
Evans.  Gov.  Elwood,  objections 
of,  198.  228,  229,  243-5 


Farnham,  T.  F.,  account  Catho- 
lic baptism,  270 
description  of  Waiilatpu,  111 

Field,  Rev.  H.  M.,  testimony  of, 
171 

Findley,  Joseph  S.,  death  of,  141 

Flohr,  Father,  opposition  of,  246 


Gallatin,     Albert,     praises     emi- 
grants. 192 
Gary,     Rev.     George,     succeeds 

Jason  Lee,  142 
Geiger,  William,   arrival  of,  111 

explains   conditions,   237 

Indians  talk  with,  264 

testimony  of,  264 
Gray.     William     H.,     describes 
Whitman,  48 

joins  Oregon  mission,  30 

left  in  charge,  51 

resigns,  124 

sent  east,  105 

testimony,  167,  179,  235 
Green   River,   rendezvous,  35 
Griffin,  Rev.  J.  S..  arrival  of,  110 

settles  at  Whitman's,  111 


H 

Hale,    Rev.    Edward,    entertains 
Whitman,   159 
testimony  of,  172 
Hall.  E.  O.,  arrival  of,  106 

Fort,  victory  won,  229 
Hanford,   Hon.   C.   H.,   footnote 
by,  regarding  Catholics,  268 
Hart,  Horace,  testifies,  205 
Hedding.  Elijah,  death  of,  264 
Hines,  G,  arrival  of,  125 

Dr.  H.  H.,  mistakes  of,  245 
Hiriman,  Alanson,  teacher,  135 

testimony,  168 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  begins 
work  on  Coast,  25 
efforts   of   to   expel   American 

traffic,  185 
efforts  to  retain  country,  50 
knowledge  of  country's  value, 
misrepresentation    of,    218-9, 
220 
opposes       mission       at       The 

Dalles,  30 
policy  of,  277 


Independence   Rock,    Fourth    of 
July  at,  34 

Indians,    converts    at    Lapwai, 
124 

disquiet  among,  134 

mortality,   138 

sickness  among,  279 
Istikus,  friend  of  Whitman,  242 

gossip  of,  267 

warns  Whitman.  282 


Juliopolis,     Bishop     of,     priests 
sent  by,  149 

K 

Kelley,  Hall  J.,  arrival  of,  147 
Kamiah,  land  troubles  at,  123 
mission  established,  105 


Lane.    Gen.    Joseph,    appointed 

governor,  289 
Lapwai,  mission  started,  32 

work  at.  289 
LeBreton,  G.  W.,  death  of,  134 


Index 


347 


Lee,  Rev.  Daniel,  crosses  conti- 
nent. 27 
Rev.  Jason,  crosses  continent, 

27 
marriage,  124 
prepares  memorial,  151 
tribute  paid  to,  303 
visits  Waiilatpu,  104 
Leslie,  Rev.  D.,  presents  memo- 
rial,  152 
Lewis.  Joe,  conspirator,  2S0 
Lincoln,     Abraham,     related     to 

Whitman  family,  21 
Linn,    Senator,    bill    introduced 

by.  151 
Littlejohn,  P.  B.,  arrival  of,  120 
Lovejoy,  A.  L.,  arrival  of,  127 
describes  winter  trip,  156 
testimony,   168-182 
Lyman,  Rev.  H.,  arrival  of,  203 

M 

Massacre,     fiftieth     anniversary 
of,  299 
list   of  killed.  287 
McBean,  Indians  excited  by,  268 
McKay,  Thomas,  assists   Whit- 
man. 43 
statement   by,    138 
McKinley,       Archibald,       letter 
from.  258 
succeeds  Pambrun.  110 
McLeod,     John,     assists     Whit- 
man, 43 
McLoughlin,    Dr.    John,    assists 

missionaries,  51,  148,  289 
Meek,  Joseph,  sent  east,  289 
Methodists,    mission    discontin- 
ued, 142 
reinforced.   125 
workers,  52 
Munger,  A.,  arrival  of,  110 

N 

Nez  Perces,  first  book  in,  106 

go  east,  25 
Nisqually,  mission  begun,  125 

O 

Ogden.  Gov.  P.  S.,  secures  ran- 
som of  survivors,  287 
Oregon,  boundary  settled,  142 
contest      between      Protestant 

and  Catholic.  308 
effect  on,  of  massacre,  290 
parties  in  controversy,  240 
population,  125-206 


Otis,  Judge  James,  evidence  of, 

IT:: 


Pambrun,  P.  C,  death  of,  110 

description  of,  (9 
Parker,      Rev.      Samuel,      letter 
from,    35 
lectures   on   Oregon,   27 
mission  to  northwest.  29 
starts  for  Oregon,  28 
Dr.    S.    J.,    testimony    of,    171- 
209 
Pearsons,  Dr.  D.  K.,  gives  finan- 
cial aid.  2^3 
Prentice,  George  A.,  opinion  of, 

190 
Prentiss.  Mr.,  letter  of,  210 
Pringle,  Mrs.  C.  S.,  speech,  298 

statement  of,  139 
Printing  Press,  arrival  of,  106 

R 

Ramsey,  Gov.  Alexander,  testi- 
mony of,  172 

Reed.  Dr.  Silas,  saw  Whitman 
in   Washington,   173 

Rendezvous,  scenes  at,  35-41 

Rodgers,  Andrew,  describes  Dr. 
and   Mrs.  Whitman,  135 

Rogers,  Cornelius,  arrival  of,  105 
resigns,  124 


Sager,  children,  139 
Shepherd,  arrival  of.  27 

marriage,  124 
Shinley,  Hon.  J.  M.,  work  of,  208 
Shortess,  arrival  of.  117 

work  of,  208 
Simpson,      Gov.      Sir      George, 
might   have   been    in   Wash- 
ington,  184 
recommends      Catholic      mis- 
sions, 149 
Smith,    Rev.    A.    B.,    arrival    of, 
105 
letter.   273 

Alvin  T.,  arrival  of,  120 
resigns,  124 

Joseph,  narrative  of,  111 
Spalding,  Rev.  H.  H.,  arrival  at 
Waiilatpu,   279 
birth  of  daughter   Eliza,  103 
describes     Indian    customs.    37 
joins  church,  2  I 
joins  Oregon  mission,  30 


348 


Ind 


ex 


Spalding,  Rev.  H.  H. — Continued 
pastor    of    first    Presbyterian 

church   in   Oregon,   104 
receives  Indians  in  church,  142 
selects  mission  location,  52 
testimony  of,  178 
work  of,  124 
Stanfield,     Joseph,     conspirator, 

2S0 
Sumner.   Hon.   Charles,   opinion 
of  controversy,  190 


Thornton,  Judge,  sent  to  Wash- 
ington, 289 

Tolmin,    Dr.    W.    F.,    statement 
of,  184 

Tshimakain,  mission,  123 

Tualatin,  academy  founded,  120 

Tyler,  evidence  of,  73 

president,  recommendation  of, 
152 


Vancouver,  Fort,  arrival  of  mis- 
mionaries,  49 
facilities  at,  42 
Victor,      Mrs.      F.      F.,     asserts 
Whitman  mercenary,  139 
denies    that    Whitman    saved 

Oregon,   198 
mistakes  of,  242 

W 

Waiilatpu,  selection  of,  51 
Walker,  Cyrus  H.,  birth  of,  105 
Elkanah,  arrival  of,  105 
Mary  R.,  testimony  of,  166 
Walla    Walla,    Fort,    arrival    of 

missionaries,  40 
Webster,     Daniel,     position     of, 

177,  235 
White,  Dr.  E.,  appointed  Indian 
agent,  124 
council  with   Cayuses,  129 
diary  of,  135 
Whitman,  Alice,  baptism,  103 
birth  of,  100 
death  of,  107 
college,  building  and  opening, 

291 
charter  for  seminary,  291 
endowment  secured,  293 
county,  formed,  294 
Marcus,      accepted      by      the 

Board.  28 
ancestry,  21 


Whitman,  Marcus — Continued 
appeals  to  the  Board,  126 
Boston,  in,  161 
birth  of,  21 
brother,  letter  to,  118 
Catholic,  invasion,  277 
Catholicism,    relating    to,    let- 
ter, 273,  278 
censure  by  board,  174 
church  affiliations,  22 
church,  organization  of,  104 
college,  first  suggests,  137 
controversy,  240 
conversion,  22 
death  of,  283 

declares  for  mission  work,  23 
describes  Cayuses,  97 
description  of,  48-9 
east,  in  the,  127 
east,  proposes  to  go,  155 
fears  losing  region,  207 
flour  mill,  burned,  129 
flour  mill,  rebuilt,  135 
friends,  surprises.  30 
fur  company,  overtakes,  32 
H.  B.  C,  monopoly,  learns  of, 

50 
house,  new,  121 
immigration,  urges.  136 
Indians,  annoyances,  121 
Indians,     encounters     trouble 

with,  50 
Indians,  returns  with,  29 
Ithaca,  at.  160 
leaves  home.  32 
letters,  first  from  home,  103 
letter,  home  board,  183 
letter  to  Rev.  Judson,  182 
letter  to  Secretary  of  War,  175 
letter  of  victory,  231 
married,  30 
massacre,  283 
mausoleum,  built,  296 
missionary  neighbors,  52 
mission,  returns  to,  133 
mission,  selected,  51 
monument,    association    form- 
ed, 296 
national   work,   denial   of,   164, 

214 
New  York,  in,  161 
Oregon,    exercised    over    pos- 
session of,  153 
president,   interview   with, 

177-9 
recapitulation,  303 


Ind 


ex 


349 


Whitman,  Marcus — Continued 

saw  mill,  first,  135 

school,  first,  100,  144 

statement,  makes,  128 

statements,  mistaken,  relating 
to,  233 

story,  first  related,  198 

story,  reasons  not  before  re- 
lated, 199-201 

testimonials,  for,  308-312 

Washington,  in,  160 

Webster,    interview   with,    177 

winter  trip,  156-9 

Narcissa,  Prentiss,  ancestry, 
24 

arrives  Waiilatpu,  52 


Whitman,  Narcissa — Continued 
birth  of  23 

copies  manuscript  book,  101 
death  of.  285 
diary  of,  54-95 
farewell  hymn,  31 
letter  to  husband,  130 
visits  The  Dalles,  124 
Perrin,  B.,  starts  west,  128 
testimony  of,  169,  180 

Wilkes,    Commodore,   squadron, 
122 

Wyeth,  Captain  Nathaniel,  meets 
Whitman,  42 
enterprises  of,  147 


Ind 


ex 


349 


Whitman,  Marcus — Continued 

saw  mill,  first,  135 

school,  first,  100,  144 

statement,  makes,  128 

statements,  mistaken,  relating 
to,  233 

story,  first  related,  198 

story,  reasons  not  before  re- 
lated, 199-201 

testimonials,  for,  308-312 

Washington,  in,  160 

Webster,    interview   with,    177 

winter  trip,  156-9 

Narcissa,  Prentiss,  ancestry, 
24 

arrives  Waiilatpu,  52 


Whitman,  Narcissa — Continued 
birth  of  23 

copies  manuscript  book,  101 
death  of,  285 
diary  of,  54-95 
farewell  hymn.  31 
letter  to  husband.  130 
visits  The  Dalles,  124 
Perrin,  B.,  starts  west,  128 
testimony  of,  169,  180 

Wilkes,    Commodore,   squadron, 
122 

Wyeth,  Captain  Nathaniel,  meets 
Whitman,  42 
enterprises  of,  147 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


5P1 

OCT  6 

1958 

NOV   2 
3 

2   iyg 

-yr* . 


BEFD  ID-WHS 
&    JAN18)96J 


DEC 06  < 


FormL9-32m-8,'57(.C8680s4)444 


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